A New Generation

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I haven't added any new birds to my year list recently, mainly because few new species appear in our area in the summer. But this is a great time of the year for birdwatching, because most of our permanent and summer residents are breeding.

On the CyFair campus, I spent part of yesterday morning looking for the Western Kingbird family that disappeared from their nest over the weekend. First I had to find out where the adults were flycatching.


Then I had to follow them as they flew off to take their prey to the young Kingbirds. As I can't fly over buildings, this took a while! However, I eventually tracked down the three youngsters, who are together in a small pine tree well away from the nest site. Appropriately enough, their new "home" is right next to the college day-care center.


The youngsters look fit and healthy ...

and very cute.




Back at home, more and more young birds are appearing at or around our feeders.

Yesterday morning a young male Northern Cardinal we've been seeing for weeks turned up with another, even younger male.


Another young Blue Jay appeared, too.


It sat on the fence and begged for food until the parents came and shepherded it away to a less exposed location.

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