Ed Cutler was in the right place at the right time...and he had his camera. He photographed a mama Anna's Hummingbird feeding her chick, which had fledged. The mother is on the left.
It's fun to be able to see this! Thanks to Ed for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
It's sunny and breezy on the Mendonoma Coast. For the first time, I could see the new life in the Osprey nest I watch with my spotting scope. Two scrawny heads were seen today.
Craig Tooley spotted this Spotted Towhee feeding her hungry chick. The chick is on the right, with its beak open wide.
Here's a photo of a Spotted Towhee taken some years ago by Bill Frizzell. They are beautiful birds that love to search for seeds, berries and insects on the ground. We often see them at our place, underneath the bird feeder. The Steller's Jays often knock seed out of the feeder, thus helping out the Spotted Towhees.
To hear their various calls, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Towhee/sounds
The third call on their list, the California recording, is what I often hear.
Thanks to Craig and Bill for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com
Craig Tooley photographed a Black Oystercatcher feeding her chick. Can you see the tiny, well-camouflaged chick? Follow the mother's beak down to the chick's tiny beak. There is a second chick on the left side of Craig's photo.
Black Oystercatchers are so distinctive with their long orange-red beak and pink legs! They nest in rocky areas above high tide. They are being studied to see how they cope with sea level rise.
They are talkative birds. One contributor to my column described them as "chattery." You can hear their call at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's great website, allaboutbirds.org. Here's the link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Oystercatcher/sounds
Here is one of my favorite Oystercatcher photos, which was taken by Craig, a "dancing" Black Oystercatcher.
Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com