Backyard Nesting Season 2021

[Clip]

Not the best photo but here is one of at least two young Downy Woodpeckers that come around to our feeders. We see two adults also so I'm guessing they are nesting nearby.

[Kevin]

1 hour ago, Clip said:

Was this in your backyard?

Nooo! I wish it was! It was at the coast, I forgot this was for your yard.

[Clip]

Mama Cardinal Is sitting on her the eggs for her second brood. Just had a Great-crested Flycatcher in our yard gathering nesting material. I believe this is their 2nd brood. They did not nest in our yard but somewhere close by.

[Avery]

Heard some Hairy Woodpecker babies at my house today!

[tclarkwood]

20 hours ago, Clip said:

Mama Cardinal Is sitting on her the eggs for her second brood. Just had a Great-crested Flycatcher in our yard gathering nesting material. I believe this is their 2nd brood. They did not nest in our yard but somewhere close by.

I had a Great-crested Flycatcher at my feeder about 2 weeks ago.  I think he was trying to figure out how to get some of my suet cake?  This is the first time I have seen this species in the wild so it was cool to see.  They are pretty sharp looking birds. 

[Clip]

I just confirmed our Cardinal pair had at least two babies their first brood this season. Papa is still feeding them but they are also starting to fend for themselves. Mama Cardinal has been sitting on the second brood for awhile now.

[Clip]

Our nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds has their 2nd brood starting to peek out of the hole in their nest box, as of yesterday. I will try to get photos. So far I have only seen one little face but there are likely more. Could be as many as 4. We see less and less of the 1st brood coming around to the feeders. The parents probably chase them off. Had a young Northern Mockingbird in the yard yesterday. We see adults regularly coming to the feeders but they do not nest in our yard.

[Clip]

A couple of photos of a couple of the birds mentioned prior. Young Northern Mockingbird and Papa Northern Cardinal feeding one of their first brood a nice juicy Mole Cricket.

[Seanbirds]

R-b Woodys are excavating a nest cavity in our telephone pole.

[Clip]

I think our backyard Eastern Bluebirds are just about ready to fledged their 2nd brood of the season. They don't start showing themselves in the hole of the box until they are close. A couple of young ones from the first brood nearby in the 2nd photo. Both parents actively feeding the 2nd brood while the first fend for themselves. Both parents were observed dive bombing a Blue Jay a couple of times as it visited the feeders yesterday. They also dive bomb any squirrels that get too close. Which is the fence behind the nesting box. Busy backyard with Cardinals, E. Bluebirds, Northern Mockingbirds, Carolina Wrens, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers all nesting at least nearby and coming to our feeders. Only the Cardinals and E. Bluebirds are actually nesting in our yard.

[Clip]

The day after my post above the Baby Bluebirds did fledge. The parents apparently took them to a neighboring yard as they have for all their past broods. We likely won't see them again until they are a bit older.  No sign of the first brood young ones either. The parents likely have run them off. The Northern Cardinals do the same thing.

[tclarkwood]

I have three young barred owls that left the nest about a week or two ago and they are having a blast learning to catch chipmunks.  We are over run with chimpmunks.  I kept trying to figure out what type of bird was making a "hissing" sound in the woods and I figured out that it is the owls.  I also figured out that the Great-crested Flycatchers have a nest in one of the Crepe Myrtles at the front of my house so that explains why I have been seeing them around the feeders trying to get suet.  It is amazing to see how large of an insect they can tackle!  They had one of those large wood beetles with the big mandibles hauling it around yesterday afternoon!   

[Clip]

The Cardinals fledged their 2nd brood. The Mama E. Bluebird is sitting on their 3rd brood. Not sure what is up the Carolina Wrens but they are busy. They aren't nesting in our yard just coming for food so I don't know what brood they are on. We have had Brown Thrasher coming around for food and taking it to our neighbors backyard. I'm guessing they are feeding young ones. We have young Red-bellied and Downy Woodpecker youngsters coming to the feeders. Tufted Titmice and Carolina Chickadees are coming around also. Blue Jays too. With an added bonus we have two Southern Toads that have made a home under the stairs to our back door. We see them put themselves to bed every early morning and some times we see them when they first come out at night. I don't know if they have laid eggs anywhere. There are no suitable pools of water for them to do so in our yard. Who knows what the neighbors yards hold though.

Edited June 23, 2021 by Clip

[Clip]

Our Eastern Bluebirds on on their 3rd brood of hatchlings. Interesting change in this brood though at that is that the youngster from at least one of the previous 2 brood are now helping out with the 3rd brood. We have witnessed them carry fecal sacks out of the nest box. Going into the nest box possibly helping with feeding. Seemingly just checking on them. And dive bombing blue jays at the feeder to drive them away. Is this typical? I don't recall seeing the young ones help out last year.

Also the Carolina Wrens are building another nest on our patio. I believe this is their 3rd brood also but hard to tell for sure. Their first brood died not 100 percent sure why but I do have a couple theories. Their subsequent nesting for the season was in our neighbors yard. It is nice to have them back in ours for probably the final brood of the season.