Isn't this baby Mountain Bluebird just the cutest little thing? It's only one or two days old and has these most amazing hair-like feathers. The sun was gleaming through these fine hairs - not sure why the background is black but it does show off all the silver down. Yesterday evening, I went with a gentleman who has had a Bluebird nesting box route for something like 25 years, recording and banding the various birds he finds. These include Tree Swallows, too. Apparently, in all these years, this gentleman has never known a mother to abandon her babies after they have been picked up and banded. The Mountain Bluebird population was dropping drastically but, thanks to this nesting box program, their numbers are increasing again. By the way, this is not MY hand! This is the third year in a row that I have gone on this short drive south of the city and I enjoy it every time. Actually, this time, there was an added bonus - we were shown a flying squirrel that has taken over a nesting box.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada south of Highway 22X nature wildlife bird Mountain Bluebird newborn AvianExcellence Explore interestingness#231 explore2007June13 NaturesFinest NGI - National Geographic - by Italian People BFGreatestHits Sialia currucoides baby bird on hand feathers Birdshare SuperShot annkelliott SpecAnimal Kristin's hand beautiful_expression
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Yesterday evening, I went with a gentleman who has had a Bluebird nesting box route for something like 25 years, recording and banding the various birds he finds. These include Tree Swallows, too. This is the third year in a row that I have gone on this drive south of the city and I enjoy it every time. Actually, this time, there was an added bonus - we were shown a flying squirrel that has taken over a nesting box. This photo shows one of the female Mountain Bluebirds with mouth full, waiting patiently (or otherwise!) for us to finish at her nesting box. Love the mix of colours in her feathers.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada nature wildlife bird ornithology Mountain Bluebird female feeding time Sialia currucoides SpecAnimal NaturesFinest BFGreatestHits
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Yesterday evening, I went with a gentleman who has had a Bluebird nesting box route for something like 25 years, recording and banding the various birds he finds. These include Tree Swallows, too. This is the third year in a row that I have gone on this drive south of the city and I enjoy it every time. Actually, this time, there was an added bonus - we were shown a flying squirrel that has taken over a nesting box. This photo shows a male Mountain Bluebird and, if you look carefully, you will see a blurry American Goldfinch a little lower down. Seeing a Bluebird atop a Spruce tree always makes me think of Christmas trees!
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada south of highway 22x nature wildlife bird ornithology Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis annkelliott IMG_1001256 Canon S3 IS Talkaboutwildlife.ca
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A couple of evenings ago, I went with a gentleman who has had a Bluebird nesting box route for something like 25 years, recording and banding the various birds he finds. These include Tree Swallows, too. This is the third year in a row that I have gone on this drive south of the city and I enjoy it every time. This little Bluebird is 1 or 2 days old - the fine fuzz always makes me smile! Apparently, in all these years, this gentleman has never known a mother to abandon her babies after they have been picked up and banded. The Mountain Bluebird population was dropping drastically but, thanks to this nesting box program, their numbers are increasing again. By the way, this is not MY hand!
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada south of highway 22x nature wildlife bird ornithology Mountain Bluebird AvianExcellence Sialia currucoides Canon S3 IS IMG_1001217 annkelliott Talkaboutwildlife.ca
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A couple of evenings ago, I went with a gentleman who has had a Bluebird nesting box route for something like 25 years, recording and banding the various birds he finds. These include Tree Swallows, too. This is the third year in a row that I have gone on this drive south of the city and I enjoy it every time. I'd like to say that I deliberately took this blurred in-flight shot - but you all know better, LOL! Seemed too pretty to delete!
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada south of highway 22x nature wildlife bird ornithology Mountain Bluebird female Sialia currucoides annkelliott Canon S3 IS IMG_1001240 Talkaboutwildlife.ca
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