Pictures of Papa

17 years ago

Here are a few pictures taken this morning as Papa was busy guarding the nest box and the meal worm feeder. The first several track him as he returns to his favorite perch, then there are a few showing him as he leaves again. Finally there are a couple of him and Mama.

It is very overcast here today so the detail suffers in some of them.

Incidentally, the four chicks in Mama's fourth nesting are now six days old and doing well. The five from her last clutch are still here and are also doing well.

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Comments (10)

michelle_4466
17 years ago
Dave,
The pictures are truely gorgeous and awe inspiring.Thank you for sharing.
michelle
lisa11310
17 years ago
So nice to see ya Dave! I always love your motion shots. Looks like molting is beginning! Sniff snif that means "my" blues will be gone soon :(
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dave_in_va
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks Michelle and Lisa.

Actually Lisa, I really try to capture unusual or out of the the ordinary bird behavior, which often does involve motion. I do have equipment that will stop them in the air, so I do use it sometimes.

For example, I took several hundred shots yesterday to get this one of Papa dive-bombing a squirrel that he felt was too close to the nest box.

Sometimes it's just luck, as when you are photographing one juvenile and another decides to land on top of him.

As for in-flight shots, I have maybe a hundred like this one but I am always trying for a better one. This was yesterday's best.

And under the broad category of unusual, here is cardinal, suffering with feather mites. Worst case I've seen.

And finally, the cute little posed shots everyone loves. And speaking of molting, this guy is 43 days out of the nest and still hasn't begun losing his baby colors. Should begin soon, though.
dzyg
17 years ago
Dave your pics are awesome, like usual. That poor Cardinal!!

So this is a new male, right? Did the eggs that your female was incubating when you lost your other male hatch and fledge ok? Did the new male take over and help?

Donna
dave_in_va
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi Donna, and thanks for the complement.

Yes, this is the StepDad. He helped fledge and then raised the five she was incubating when their Papa was killed. The last three pictures are of one of the five.

Then she went for her fourth nesting, laid four eggs, all of which hatched. Those chicks are now nine days old. So I guess he can be called Papa from here on out. He does a wonderful job (except he dive-bombs me when I go near the nest box. I expect that he will become more tolerant in time.)

Dave
renee1958
17 years ago
I've been away from the forum for a while. I'm glad to see your pictures Dave, They are one of the main reasons I visit this forum.

My favorites are the squirrel getting dive bombed, and the poor Cardinal. Do you think the Cardinal will recover from such an infestation?
dave_in_va
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi Renee.

Sorry to be so slow in responding. I have been busy and not all of it has been fun (two root canals, among other things)

I worry about that cardinal. He has been losing his feathers since early spring. I haven't noticed him starting to get any new ones yet. Maybe as he molts.

My fourth nest babies fledged successfully a couple of days ago. I put some pictures of them flying from the nest box on Cher's forum.

They were really dive-bombing that squirrel on fledge day.

Dave
gibby01
17 years ago
Those are great pictures, they make mine look sick you must have a great camera!!! Poor cardinal, they usually look so awesome, I hope he recovers.
dave_in_va
Original Author
17 years ago
Here are several pictures of one of the four as he fledged last Friday.

This one fledged the day before. To my surprise he flew up on the deck and then back to the nest box where he sat for at least half an hour.

Here he is on the deck railing. Such short tail feathers.

And here he is on the nest box. He didn't know what to make of those Mylar strips on the sparrow spooker.

Here he is, still on the roof, watching while one of the juveniles from the last nesting feeds a baby that is still in the box.

After at least half an hour, he finally flew up into the trees.
dzyg
17 years ago
Oh what precious shots from fledging day Dave!! Reminds me of my little ones from last week. I am still waiting to see if all four made it, none were great flyers although three of them made it to the trees, one just couldn't get lift off. I worry about him. It has been a week now but I don't expect to see them as soon as I saw the last batch that fledged, they were much better flyers. It is amazing they can fly with those short little wing and tail feathers!

Donna