Hungry babies!!!

Discussion in 'Member's Gallery' started by Ronni, Jun 15, 2014.

  1. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Paige discovered there was a bird's nest in the tree in front of the house! We've been sneaking in to take photos when Mama flies away to get food.

    Here's the nest.
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    And here are the hungry babies! :smt060
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    I can't see what I'm shooting....I have to stand on my tippy toes and hold the phone way above my head, angling the camera lens over the nest. Yay for decent cell phone cameras, or I don't think I could have gotten the shot! :)
     
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  3. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Gosh you did well with your photographs Ronni. Do you know what kind of birds nest it is by any chance?Let's hope all the chicks thrive and that you get the chance to see them fledging.
     
  4. Capt Kirk

    Capt Kirk Thank a Veteran today!

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    From the nest and where it is, it looks to be an American Robin's nest.
     
  5. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Eileen, other than knowing they're avian, I don't have a clue. I'll pay more attention and see if I can give you a description of Mama bird.

    Capt Kirk, I'll have to go look for pictures of an American Robin, so I can compare that to the bird, and see if maybe that's what it is.
     



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  6. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    You did very well to get their photos. I have a nest on the corner of my front porch... and another one on a stand in the garden. So far, only 1 egg in one. Plus the silly Kildee has 3 eggs right in the middle of the gravel driveway.
     
  7. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Here's the bird. They're terrible shots, I was trying to zoom with my camera on my phone, and that's the best I could do.

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    Poor Mama bird was really angry with me. :( There I was on my tippy toes trying to take some more pictures of the babies, and she dive-bombed me, squawking and squeaking! I could even see she had food in her beak for them! So I quickly got out of the way, and watched her as she eventually flew to the nest to feed them. Then she left, and I got a couple more pictures of the babies.

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    Poor things.....I think they thought the camera was Mama back to feed them...look at those wide open little mouths!!!
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  8. Philip Nulty

    Philip Nulty Strong Ash

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    Spectacular pictures Roni,..you got some very close up ones,..lol at all those open mouths,..food gimme gimme,..yes very cute.
     
  9. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Thanks Philip. I tried to get another one yesterday...I'm really curious to see their growth rate, and I'd hoped to do a daily shot. But Mama is VERY protective, and even though I wait till I can't see her around, she's watching! When I got in position to take yesterday's pic, she appeared out of nowhere, squawking and very angry! I thought she was going to peck at me! She actually batted me with her wings before I could back up! She's a very protective Mama. :)
     
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  10. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Oh, I forgot to post this.....here's a better shot of Mama bird. Can anyone identify what it is?

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  11. Philip Nulty

    Philip Nulty Strong Ash

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    A very protective bird Ronni,..so watch your eyes they can give a good peck,..sorry its a foreign bird to me but someone will identify her,..great pictures again.
     
  12. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    A friend of mine said this about the bird:

    That's a Northern Mockingbird! You're really lucky she isn't attacking the heck out of you for being so close. Cute little babies though!

    Well, she does get pretty worked up if she's around when I go near the tree. Unfortunately I park my car right next to it, so twice a day, both going and coming, she freaks out. :( And that's apart from when I try and take photos.
     
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  13. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Well, I've discovered something very interesting about Mockingbirds! They are incredibly protective of their young, very scrappy, and become a bonded pair for life when they mate.

    There's not one, but TWO very protective parents guarding those babies, as I've been discovering over the weekend. I park right in front of the tree the nest is in, and over the weekend I had occasion to go back and forth from my car numerous times to unload stuff. I realized then that there was more than one bird upset by my being too close to the nest. They took turns dive-bombing me and flapping their wings and squawking at me! One would guard the nest while the other went after me, then they'd switch. Man!

    I did however manage to sneak in and grab a few more photos when I was sure the parents weren't around. These babies have grown SO fast!

    .............and my internet decided to crap out on me! :( I cannot get the photos to load, so I can post them!!!! ARGH! :scheming:

    Hopefully it will allow me to post this update, and I'll post the photos that I got as soon as I can!
     
  14. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Peek-a-boo!

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    They look like real birds now!
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  15. Philip Nulty

    Philip Nulty Strong Ash

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    Hi Ronni,..gosh those chicks are growing fast,..feathers and all,..and giving you the beady eye,..great pictures and interesting information.
     

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