The first round of nesting on the ranch has been completed. Some birds, such as the Barn Swallows and American Robins, will nest again, but most species have completed the nesting cycle for this year. The fledglings perch awkwardly in the trees and shrubs, and all too often crash into windows, sometimes with catastrophic results. Yesterday three young Bullock's Orioles visited our water feature and nectar feeders.
They waited in the lilac tree until the adult oriole had drunk its fill at the feeder.
Then they took turns eating at the feeder and bathing in the water feature.
Today, young Western Kingbird siblings appeared to be carrying on a conversation in the shrubs outside our dining room window.
I was not sure where the Kingbirds had nested this year on the property, but clearly they
had successfully raised a brood somewhere nearby.
Earlier in the week on my walk along the river, I spotted seven Common Merganser babies swimming in the irrigation ditch that flows through our property.
What cute little feathery puffs of joy!
As I started snapping photos, Mama Merganser suddenly appeared and headed right toward me. She was not happy that I was standing so close to her little flock.
I left quickly, hoping that these ducklings will stay safe in the waters around the ranch and grow up to nest somewhere nearby- perhaps in the duck box I installed two years ago by the banks of the river that, so far, has gone unoccupied.
