It’s Baby Time!

Oh boy!   It seems like in the last couple of weeks there has been an explosion of baby birds around here!

Let’s start with the woodpeckers.    Last we saw them, Mama and Papa Pileated Woodpecker were taking turns looking after the eggs.    Just a couple of days ago who did we find, but this baby sticking her head out of the nest hole!

New to me today was this Hairy Woodpecker nest with a very hungry baby inside.    The parents are all bedraggled trying to keep up with its demands .   Sound familiar?

This is a baby Northern Flicker.   I found it the other day when I was out looking at the owls.   It was making so much noise I couldn’t miss it!   It may seem that every single tree hole around here has baby birds in it.   And though of course that’s not true, it does remind  us of the value that old dead trees have for wildlife.

I rest my case.

I have been spending some time down at the wetlands around Brighton and it seems as if the waterfowl are all having a baby explosion.

I know Canada Geese are common, but their goslings are so photogenic!

Even the awkward juveniles have a charm all their own.

These are Hooded Mergansers.   Kind of my nemesis bird.   They are so incredibly shy that I rarely catch more than a glimpse of them- flying away.    I love the females and how they have this natural mohawk “do” on their heads.

Their babies are really handsome little things, with a lovely rusty brown colouring.    I was thrilled to get to see them the past couple of days.

I also found a family of Wood Ducks, another notoriously shy creature.    Their babies swim around in little circles while they eat.

Here is a Common Gallinule (used to be called a Moorhen).   It has a chick at its feet.    It was squawking at it and trying to get it to walk around.    There were lots of these little baby Gallinules around, but they were far away and very sneaky.

Look at the mama and her adorable little ducklings.

There were many families of ducks at the wetlands today.    Some had over a dozen duckings.    I love watching the mom round them up and keep them safe.

Last but not least, the Mute Swans.   Ever since I was a little girl, I have thought swans were so elegant and beautiful.  And I never understood the Ugly Duckling story. That cygnet was so cute!

So there they are in all their glory, the little Mute Swans.

Now, that’s a lot of baby birds!

See you next time for an update on the new little family of Barred Owls in my neighbourhood.