new beginnings

 With changing seasons come new beginnings!

After close to three weeks of not being "out & about" locally, I was curious as to what transpired while I was away!  For these recent three days in a row, transitioning from official spring to official summer, I went in search of new beginnings. What I discovered along the way rendered me as wide eyed as the bug-eyed babies.  From my three favourite locations for "chasing & catching" Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Confluence Park, Carburn Park, I am sharing my sights of new beginnings!  

Note:  Baby ducks are obvious but sometimes I may not be 100% positive if what I think is a baby bird is a baby bird or not.  Baby bird give-aways can be the shape of the beak, the awkwardness and being fluffy balls of sweetness.  They tend to not move as I approach or flap away in a slow scattered like manner.  If that is their behaviour then I back away. This is what I use as my criteria to call it a baby bird or not. I still have lots to learn on this topic and I am open to being let known otherwise if my ids are incorrect.   

I open this post with a promo photo of a young Robin with its Mom.  I watched them for a few minutes. The young one stuck very close to the Mom, following her in every flight then perching by her side, all the while having something to say.   

This young Wood Duck nestled up close then eventually tucked in underneath Mom to join the five others that were already beneath her.  It was a little while later, I saw them swimming about in a tight knit group, the little ones too young yet to venture off in another direction on their own.  

This Downy Woodpecker is an example of where I made the ID of age from its looks and behaviour.  While it is full size, its feathers were not neat, tidy and as settled as an adults. It was not quick to move, yet when it did, it did with unsteadiness.   

While this is a full grown House Sparrow, it's just a baby!  It still has the odd beak shape and oh what a ball of fluff it was.  It was a sweet sight to see the Mom bring food to it.  It had lots to say just before she dove in with the treat.  

I saw on the e-bird website there were sightings of baby Red Breasted Nuthatches.  Now I can confirm there are babies.  I saw two, this is one of them.  I had to zoom in quite a bit to get this capture.  I knew it was a baby of a sort but it was when I got home I was able to make the confirmation of it being a baby Red Breasted Nuthatch. 

Obvious big baby!  House Sparrow!  There were a few hanging out and flitting about in the bushes.  Until the beak fully develops, it will have that sad looking look. 

Baby Wood Duck! Nap time!

I believe this to be a baby Clay-Coloured Sparrow!  Those frazzled looking feathers, being unsteady on its legs and not being quick to flee when I approached are the reasons I say this is a baby. I am just not 100% sure on making this call though! Like I said, I have lots to learn!

It's definitely a Robin!  I am making the call that it's a baby!  On a tree close by stood an obvious adult Robin that this one watched intently.  I waited! I watched! This one did not move, it had a few words here and there yet its feathers never settled!  

It's now a Juvenile Eagle! Back on May 5th, I shared photos of the Eaglet. Oh my how they grow!  While watching it and chatting with two bird enthusiasts, I learned this new eagle is believed to be a female because it is already larger than the Dad.  It is still being fed by both parents, it's very unsteady on its legs and will sit on the same branch in the same spot for hours on end.  It has not yet been shown how to dive for food.

Back and forth activity in the bushes by a Yellow Warbler led me to this sweet surprise.  There are four baby Yellow Warblers in the nest.  After this quick capture, off I went chasing again.   

This was a very vocal baby Northern Flicker!  Being high in the tree, I needed quite the zoom to capture this photo.  There appeared to be only the one baby.  Mom was back and forth with many treats.

I watched as this male Downy Woodpecker brought something to this hole in the tree. I heard squawking coming from the area then looked way up and spied this.  After the Woodpecker flew away.....

.....this head popped out!  That's not a Woodpecker!  My Bird ID App tells me it's a European Starling! Oh boy do I have lots to learn!   

These new beginnings that are coming 

with the changing of the seasons, 

are like a breathe of fresh air!