topic Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest in Among Friends

February 2025 Bird's Nest

Bird mama — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 13:43:22 GMT

Welcome Friends Old and New to the Bird's Nest for February.

Among the trees is a bird's nest,

and in the nest her three eggs rest,

and in each egg, Hush, you'll be heard!

There lies asleep A tiny bird.

Written by H.N. Bialik

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

Bird mama — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 13:58:46 GMT

The bird of the day is the American Wigeon. When I look at the word Wigeon I hear Elmer Fudd's voice

Current conservation status is LC (least concern) and the population trend is stable.

The American wigeon, also called a baldpate, is a species of dabbling duck found in North America. The breeding male (drake) is a striking bird with a mask of green feathers around its eyes and a cream-colored cap running from the crown of its head to its bill. This white patch gives the wigeon its other common name, baldpate (pate is another word for head). Their belly is also white. In flight, drakes can be identified by the large white shoulder patch on each wing. These white patches flash as the birds bank and turn.

In non-breeding plumage, the drake looks more like the female. The female (a hen) is much less conspicuous, having primarily gray and brown plumage. Both sexes have a pale blue bill with a black tip, a white belly, and gray legs and feet.

American wigeons are highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and spend time in large flocks. They are active during the day and usually feed by dabbling for plant food or grazing, which they do very readily. While on the water, wigeons often gather with feeding coots and divers and are known to grab pieces of vegetation brought to the surface by diving water birds. For this reason, they are sometimes called "poacher" or "robber" ducks.

American wigeons also commonly feed on dry land, eating waste grain in harvested fields and grazing on pasture grasses, winter wheat, clover, and lettuce. Having a largely vegetarian diet, most birds migrate in the fall well before northern marshes begin to freeze.

American wigeons are herbivores and feed mainly on aquatic and terrestrial plants. They will also eat some eats some insects, mollusks, and snails.

American wigeons are serially monogamous; they form pairs that remain together during a single breeding season and after the second week of incubation, males usually leave to molt. These birds nest on the ground, near water, and under cover. Their nests are constructed of grasses and weed stems. The female lays 6-12 creamy-white eggs which are incubated for 23-25 days. The ducklings are precocial and leave the nest with the female soon after hatching. They become independent at about 37-48 days of age and reach reproductive maturity when they are about 1 year old.

Female

Baby

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

meallen616 — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 13:59:25 GMT

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

Bird mama — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 14:28:35 GMT

Thank you for the beautiful cardinal @meallen616

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

happilyretiredgirl — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 15:51:25 GMT

@meallen616 I just love cardinals, I live in Virginia and the cardinal is the State bird they are so beautiful.

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

just bee — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 16:15:53 GMT

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 16:25:05 GMT

I like ducks.

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

viva923 — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 16:35:17 GMT

hey all

i see cardinals around my house, more blue jays that cardinals.

winds are howling again out of nor'west so it is very chilly again today

did get shorter walk in today

not much else.

ok guys later.

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

DSD2 — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 17:27:00 GMT

Such beautiful pictures @Bird mama !!! Thank you for sharing

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

mousiegirl — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 21:24:17 GMT

@Puzzle Piece wrote:
I like ducks.

@Puzzle Piece So do I, they have such sweet faces.

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

just bee — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 07:02:33 GMT

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

Bird mama — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 13:29:23 GMT

My pleasure @DSD2

Ducks have lots of personality @Puzzle Piece

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

Bird mama — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 13:53:20 GMT

Good Morning, the bird of the day is the American Yellow Warbler.

Current conservation status is LC (least concern) and population trend is stable.

Winter, female and immature birds all have similarly greenish-yellow uppersides and are a duller yellow below. Young males soon acquire breast and, where appropriate, head coloration. Females are somewhat duller, most notably on the head. In all, the remiges and rectrices are blackish olive with yellow edges, sometimes appearing as an indistinct wing-band on the former. The eyes and the short thin beak are dark, while the feet are lighter or darker olive-buff.

The summer males of this species are generally the yellowest warblers wherever they occur. They are brilliant yellow below and greenish-golden above. There are usually a few wide, somewhat washed-out rusty-red streaks on the breast and flanks. These markings are the reason for the scientific name petechia, which roughly translates to "liver spotted".

Outside the breeding season, Yellow warblers usually spend time in small groups, but while breeding they are fiercely territorial and will try to chase away any conspecific intruder that comes along. Males perch near the tops of the bushes or trees and sing in order to claim their territory; they also establish their territories by performing a “circle flight” display. Yellow warblers are active during the day and find their prey by gleaning in shrubs and on tree branches; they will also hawk prey that tries to fly away. These birds communicate with postures, perhaps with touch and vocally.

Their song is a musical strophe that can be rendered 'sweet sweet sweet, I'm so sweet', although it varies considerably between populations. Their call is a soft or harder 'chip' or 'ship' which is frequently given by females after a male has finished his song. In territorial defense, Yellow warblers give hissing calls, while 'seet' seems to be a kind of specialized alert sound. Other calls are given in communication between pair-members, neighbors, or by young begging for food.

Yellow warblers are generally serially monogamous and form pairs that remain together only during a single breeding season. Some males, however, may be polygynous and mate with more than one female. Yellow warblers start breeding in May/June. They nest in trees, building a small but very sturdy cup nest. The female lays 3-6 eggs and incubates them alone for 11-14 days. The chicks are born helpless and weigh 1.3 g (0.046 oz) on average; they are brooded for 8-9 days after hatching and leave the nest the following day or the one thereafter. Around 3 to 4 weeks after hatching, the young are fully independent of their parents. They become reproductively mature at one year of age and attempt to breed right away.

Fledgling

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

Puzzle Piece — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 14:07:41 GMT

Beautiful yellow bird. A miracle of nature.

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

viva923 — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 15:45:14 GMT

hello all

noticed many blue jays were out and about

it is very windy and very chilly here- we got another 6 more weeks of winter UGH.

got morn walk in

listened to u tube video by a retired military/commerical pilot-he really explained it so well and he was so easy to understand . the philly crash he said the plane stalled on take off/he mentioned that only usually happens when load gets to heavy in backof airplane something shifted that shouldn't have. the DC crash-he said it sounded really like the military pilot saw the airplane BUT NOT THE one she should have seen-mistaken idenity of wrong airplane. really explained it well

not much else. later guys

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

Epicurean — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 19:36:54 GMT

Thank you for today's bird Birdmama. It's just beautiful!

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

Bird mama — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 22:41:20 GMT

@viva923 I'm not seeing BlueJays yet. Did have some starlings come by to forage in the grass earlier in the week.

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

Snicks1 — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:25:22 GMT

Two summers ago I had some yellow birds in my yard that I had never seen here before, they may have been the yellow warblers, I don't know. They haven't come back. Were here for about a week, then disappeared.

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

hellie jo — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 01:32:50 GMT

@Bird mama Yes I agree with you regarding energy costs going up. Not sure why they bother with meetings anyway. I guess it makes people feel like their input is heard. Ha

Re: February 2025 Bird's Nest

just bee — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 07:18:29 GMT