Welcome to Week #43 of the Bird Weekly Photo Challenge. Week #43 challenge is Birds with chicks or Baby Birds or Nests with Eggs.
The feature image is a baby Blue-gray Gnatcatcher that had fallen out of a very tall tree and onto the ground on a windy day. This is where and how we found the little guy.
This is me improvising….adapting and overcoming! As I mentioned in the round up, I lost my SD Card on Wednesday while picking strawberries. Dumb…yes I know! I usually take it out of my pocket on the trip and put it in my purse. I forgot! Cost me dearly. I’ve lost 1500-2000 images that didn’t get downloaded. Including our last two birding adventures and my photos for this challenge. I may be pulling from my archives and photos I’ve already used on my blogs for a while until I can get back out on the trail.
Common Gallinule (Moorhen)
This mama had 3 chicks. I only had two in this photo that has been previously used. The photo below is all three chicks with both parents. The parents were leading them into the Mangroves because a 4 foot alligator was on the pursuit. The gator gave up once they got into cover. Common Gallinules are in the rail family and are quite visible in their habitat, unlike many rails who are quite shy. They build nests to raise their young, however they build platforms of matted vegetation to display for potential mates. Newly hatched baby chicks are born with spurs on their wings that help them climb into the nest or grab onto that vegetation.
Great Egret
As with many birds, Great Egret chicks don’t usually all survive after hatching. Most often, the large chicks will kill their smaller siblings. This type of behavior is called siblicide and is common in birds of prey and herons as well. Great Egrets nest in mixed colonies and are usually the first to arrive with other species to begin nesting shortly after.
The male chooses the display area where the nest will later be constructed. Their nests are generally up to a 100 feet off the ground, near water. They will occasionally nest on the ground. The nest is up to 3 feet across and a foot deep and is lined with pliable plant material that dries, forming a cup structure. The eggs are a pale greenish blue.
Tricolored Herons
Tricolored Herons nest in mixed colonies with other heron species, egrets, and woodstorks. They generally breed on islands and in dense tree or shrubs up to 13 feet above the ground or water. Males usually pick the spot in shade and collects twigs to build a platform before pairing. Once paired with the female, the male will continue to bring more twigs to the female for her to arrange. The female lines the nest with finer twigs and cordgrass. A clutch size is 3-5 eggs and are a pale greenish blue similar to the eggs of the Great Egret.
Sandhill Crane
Some Sandhill Cranes start breeding at the age of two years old, however they may reach the age of seven before breeding. They mate for life which means they could be together for 20 plus years. Sandhill Cranes usually nest in isolated wetlands. This Sandhill Crane was tucked in and seen on a nest of eggs on the wildlife drive at Viera Wetlands in Viera, Florida. Generally, a clutch size is 1-3 pale brownish yellow to olive colored eggs with irregular brown and gray markings. When they hatch, they are covered with down, are active with open eyes. The chicks stay with their parents for 9 to 10 months after hatching.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Male and female Blue-gray Gnatcatcher choose a nest site and they both build a neat open cuplike nest. It could take up to two weeks for them to build a nest that is 2-3 inches wide and is held together with branches and spider webbing. They are creatively decorated with lichen. The walls are built high, but on the day that we found this little guy on the ground sitting unhurt on top of oak leaves, those high walls were not enough for the high winds that day. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers lay 3-5 pall blue spotted eggs with reddish to dark brown speckles. When they hatch, they are born naked and helpless, eyes closed and very little movement.
I became Mama Bird for the weekend until we could get this cute little baby to a proper shelter. I fed it all day for two days using a mixture of Heaven’s dog food (soaked in water to mush) and boiled eggs. We also went and got some mealworms from Wild Birds Unlimited and I was then a hero. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher survived and was released into the wild after several weeks.
The whole story about this bird rescue can be viewed here.
Muscovy Duck (domesticated)
Muscovy Ducks lay 8-15 eggs with a 30-31 day incubation. The eggs are glossy white and sometimes have a greenish or buff tint. When these chicks hatch, they are fearless with a heavy hooked bill. This domestic Muscovy Duck was seen with 11 chicks. Two are not in the photo. She made her nest against the building of my chiropractor’s office. Her and her ducklings were running all over the property. Mama had her “hands” full.
Next time…Week #44 – Birds beginning with the letter “F” (if a bird has more than one word of the name, you can use it as long as it begins with a “F”, ie: Ferruginous Hawk or House Finch) (4/23/21)
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72 responses to “Bird Weekly – Photo Challenge – Baby Birds”
[…] Bird Weekly – Photo Challenge – Baby Birds — Our Eyes Open Advertisements […]
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[…] am retrospectively linking this post to Lisa’s Bird Weekly challenge theme of Baby Birds, even though this is rather a large […]
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That tiny Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is so sweet! I’m sure you made a wonderful Mama 🙂 I’m rather cheekily linking an old post this week, as this is by far the best example of a baby bird that I have: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/the-waved-albatross-of-espanola-island/
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Now we see them and wonder if it is ours. I’m so glad you linked an old post because it was incredible and now others will see it that may not have seen it when you originally posted it. Really incredible photos! 🙂
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Thank you Lisa 😀
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Amazing…
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Thank you! 🙂
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Always welcome
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Especially those pictures Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
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That was the best two days! 🙂
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Awesome collection in this series, Lisa!!
I would love to see baby Sandhill Cranes!!
I feel your pain about the list SD card.😭
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Thanks Deborah on both accounts. I got two new SD cards yesterday so now we start again. Frank got a few photos but not like I did. I shoot way more than he does. 🙂
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Yes! I’m glad you’re back in the game! I lost one and my shooting harness a few years ago so I felt your pain! 😀
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Yep, you totally understand. I’m in no game right now. I’m not feeling well from my 2nd Moderna shot. This is brutal and it is such a beautiful day outside. Oh well! 🙂
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Ugh!! I hope you feel better real soon! Sending hugs and positive vibes your way! 🥰
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Thanks Deborah. It has been rough but I wouldn’t change my mind in getting it. 😊
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These are all wonderful. 😊
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Thanks Irene. Not too bad for archives. Not what I had in mind though. 🙂
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What an amazing post! Really brilliant! the baby gnatcatcher was heartbreaking. Thank goodness you were there to rescue it. Your photos are worthy of the pages of National Geographic or Audubon Society field guide. I am so impressed!
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Thanks Russell. Not sure they would buy any and I have no idea how to go about submitting. 🙂
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Most publications will have a space devoted to submission guidelines. Many prestigious publications, such as the New Yorker, only publish by invitation. Others are desperate for material. I’m sure National Geographic is closer to the New Yorker end of the spectrum. I have a friend who got on the cover of National Geo. I’ll ask him how he went about it the next time I see him. Cheers! 😃
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Thank you for the info. That would be amazing! I think I have magazine photos that are worthy. What you see on the blog isn’t the best resolution because I don’t want someone to steal my stuff. 🙂
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I know what you mean. I worry that someone may try to steal some of my butterfly photos. How would I know if one got published overseas, for instance?
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Yeah, just stumble on it, I guess. Someone stole one of my designs on Etsy. I found it yesterday but haven’t decided if I’m going to do anything about it. 🙂
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That’s terrible, Lisa! You should definitely do something about it.
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I’m thinking about it. I have that person bookmarked and I will see. The whole design isn’t mine. I purchased it to use but then added to it. Because I added to it, I know it was mine. It isn’t huge deal. They are in the UK. The thing that is getting me, is it looks like they just went and took stuff from a lot of people. 🙂
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Plagiarism! The worst kind of thievery!
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Yeah, it is one thing to plagiarise to give information like we do on our blogs where you are not selling that info, but the facts are the facts. It’s another when you just take someone’s designs or photos and start selling them as your own. I don’t always design my own stuff, but I subscribed yearly to sites with clipart and photos. Thereby, giving me the rights to use those designs and incorporate them with my own. It is a fine line, but I pay to be on that line. 🙂
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As a librarian, I am fairly well-versed on fair usage. It’s mostly common sense. If you are using someone else’s stuff it’s okay if it’s to review or parody. The amount sampled also goes into play. If one quotes something from another source, they should give attribution. I don’t like it when people steal. I’ve been on the receiving end of such treatment and it hurts, especially when you have no recourse.
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You are correct on all accounts. A librarian! I thought about doing that as a young person because I love to read, but I found I loved design and got into the sign industry while working on my degree. Now I can make a living at it and love it. 🙂
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Modern librarianship isn’t really about reading. It’s more about database management, that sort of thing…
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Yes I know. I’d be wanting to read everything and not do my job. 😂
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The only books I got to touch when working were reference books, but now all that stuff is online.
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Yeah, see! I wouldn’t have been a very good Librarian. Good thing I became a Graphic Designer. Suits me well anyway! LOL! 🙂
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Being a Mama Gnatcatcher suits you! What an amazing story.
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Thanks Dora! LOL! 🙂 It was so good! And the fact that it fledged about 5 weeks after we dropped it off was amazing!
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Now that’s a happy ending! ❤️
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Yep! 🙂
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Oh my gosh – that baby gnat catcher is too cute for words!!
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👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
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[…] Birds With Chicks […]
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Oh that gnatcatcher! Great photos of all!
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Yes, oh that gnatcatcher! I cried when I had to take it to the animal hospital where it would eventually go to the bird sanctuary and then released.
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It’s really tough getting close enough to photograph baby birds but you got some really great captures. The gnatcatcher is too cute!
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Thanks Beth and yes it is hard to do for sure. I forgot to include the Great-Horned Owls but I just put them on my “O” for today and linked it back to the Bird Weekly Challenge. I saw so distraught over my card. 🙂
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I know it is heartbreaking to lose that card. So sorry it happened.
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Yeah, I’m trying to get over it. 🙂
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No baby birds to share, but we are seeing a lot of birds tending to their nests, Lisa! Lovely shots of yours and that baby gnatcatcher is darling!
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You can include nesting birds. I did with the Sandhill Cranes. 🙂
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Two birds flew into our house today through the open slider door! No pics but luckily they flew right out! We have no trees. The closest trees are 100 yards away.
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Well, that is pretty cool and it is good they flew out again. Are you going to plant trees closer to the house, eventually?
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Definitely!
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I’m so sorry about your SD card! Erg!
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Thanks Terri! I may never get over it, but it seems a bit easier at the moment. Until I want to use something and then remember it was on that card. Then I will get depressed again. LOL! 🙂
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[…] forgotten Lens-Artists – This week they are flying high and that them fits well with Lisa’s Bird Weekly Challenge Birds with […]
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[…] Submitted from my archives for Bird Weekly […]
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Your baby is precious. We found some babies once, but we did not keep them alive long enough to get them to the doctor. I was panicked by the experience, poor thing. Here is a post I wrote in my first month of blogging that fits. https://tchistorygal.net/2012/05/13/killdeer-charadrius-vociferus/
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[…] See other Bird Babies on the Bird Weekly Challenge for Friday, April 14th. […]
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This my first brush with a gnat catcher. Nice going with that youngster. I really liked your photo of the great egret with its chick; nice to be able to compare sizes.
I thought I had no photos of chicks, but thanks to your nudge, I looked and found a couple.
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Thanks! I was heartbroken when I had to take the gnatcatcher to the animal hospital who then turned it over to our bird sanctuary. If it wasn’t illegal to raise a wild bird, I would have kept it and released it when it was ready. 🙂
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[…] (For Bird Weekly Challenge: baby birds) […]
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[…] Bird Weekly […]
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[…] topic for this weeks bird weekly photo challenge is birds with chicks so a little trip through the archives to find the few photographs I […]
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I have loved looking at all of your little chicks. I believe the water by our caravan has its first set of ducklings for the year but I haven’t managed to get a photograph yet. I live watching the chicks growing.
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Hope you get to some photos of them real soon. 😊
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[…] while Jo’s Monday Walk fits well with ideas I already have for future posts (I keep a list). Lisa’s Bird Weekly is a chance to share one of the subjects I enjoy photographing, but I wouldn’t aim to do those […]
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These images are wow!
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Thank you V.J. I had others that was on my lost card but…well they are lost. LOL! 🙂
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You will recapture them!
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Yeah, I’m ready to get outside too. It is already starting to get hot. I feel like I missed spring. 🙂
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She’s fickle, that Spring.
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Yes she is! This is Florida and talk about unpredictable! At least we had something of a spring here this year. 🙂
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