Birds of Alberta 3

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

These baby Mountain Bluebirds are already showing some of the beautiful colours in their feathers. Saw these on Monday evening's drive to check one of the Mountain Bluebird nesting box routes south of Highway 22X. Mountain Bluebirds use grass for their nests, whereas the Tree Swallows, who take over some of the boxes, use a delightful selection of bird feathers to line their nest.

These tiny, blue eggs were in one of the nesting boxes on Monday evening's drive to check one of the Mountain Bluebird nesting box routes south of Highway 22X. Mountain Bluebirds use grass for their nests, whereas the Tree Swallows, who take over some of the boxes, use a delightful selection of bird feathers to line their nest.

A few 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 in the process of being banded. 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. Thanks, Don, for your very long-term commitment to these beautiful Bluebirds! Thanks to everyone else who is/has been doing this!

"My" young Great Horned Owl spent quite a long time with its head turned upwards, intensely watching all the small birds that were in the branches above it. It also had its eye on a female Wood Duck which flew into the top of a very tall nearby tree and stayed there. Kind of glad I'm not a small bird or a Ground Squirrel down in or near that grove of trees!