Birding!

[The Masked Shadow]

Black-footed Albatross?! This one was on the smaller side, and another person on the boat identified this bird from a band on the leg (not visible) as one coming from Midway Atoll or another Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Chain (Wake, Laysan, Kure, or Kaula would be the others in the chain that they nest on), which means this bird is well over 2,600 miles from home. There are transplant breeders to Guadeloupe Island in Mexico, which is significantly closer to San Diego, but they have different bands. Despite being so far away, it isn’t necessarily rare to see one coming from nesting grounds to forage off the coast, ive seen them other times too, just haven’t gotten a picture before.

 

[Chet E.]

Question:
Just over a week ago, this psychotic little bird arrived at the window.

Beginning June 27th he has been continuously fascinated with himself.
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Hours every day spent flying against the window, sitting on the rim and biting at his reflection. At first it was interesting, but soon became worrisome... Why? He ought to spend some time eating too.
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I hold out the possibility that he's defending a territory, a nest perhaps, but I haven't seen one, the Maple trees near by are quite dense, but it seems odd he does not learn his reflection is not a worthy rival.
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Are American Gold Finches that territorial?
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[Deadeye]

I had song sparrows attacking the windows of my car - I always figured they were eating the pollen off the glass.
Maybe it is a territorial display - more knowledgeable birders could probably chime in better than I can though.

 

[FINWIN]

Cutest and adorable story!

A (I think sparrow) has made a nest on my porch in one of the large planters! I've been cleaning the porch for summer and a bird would fly past me and through the solar curtains to get away. The first time I thought birdie was getting out of the heat. It wasn't until day three I figured it out...She'd built a nest in a raised planter over the sphagnum moss.

I peeked inside and saw 5 small speckled eggs tucked away. With all the trees around here I have no idea why she went to so much trouble to set up a family on my porch! Will try and grab a couple of pics.

 

[FINWIN]

Here's mama's nest. Look on the left side of the planter. In the second pic you see her eggs. Birdie tucks up in the space behind the eggs.