Great Spotted Woodpecker - Artstre: Flaggspett (Dendrocopus major)

Those of you who read this blog often probably have seen the link Feeding Birds in Norway listed here. The main purpose of that blog is not birds, but Hilde often posts great bird photos from Norway - where the sun always seems to be shining.

I want all of you to take a minute and go to http://knittingplace.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html - scroll down to Ferieinntrykk/Holiday impressions. You'll finally get to a wonderful photo of a Great Spotted Woodpecker - click on the photo to see an enlarged version.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker looks a lot like the North American Hairy Woodpecker (see photo below) - but the Great Spotted has a brilliant red patch on its back side. Please take a look at this woodpecker in Norway. And, thanks to Hilde!
The hairy woodpecker (a female) is the larger of the two woodpeckers at the suet feeder, the small is a male downy. All of the Habitat hairy and downy woodpeckers are currently drab and gray. I believe that they will soon molt and we'll see their white feathers for the fall.

On the Road: Northern Mockingbird Chicks in Nest

Over the 4th of July Holiday, I visited my childhood home. Dad always enjoyed observing and feeding the birds - mainly sparrows, robins, mockingbirds, and the occasional sea gull off of the Chesapeake Bay. So it was not a surprise to find a northern mockingbird nest in the front dogwood tree.
I learned at an early age that mockingbird parents aggressively protect the nest - they'll attack you if you get too close to the nest. Having learned that lesson many, many years ago, I took a fellow birder (nephew-in-law) to watch my back as I climbed a ladder that I had positioned next to the tree.
The work of getting a ladder and the potential mockingbird attack were well worth it as the resulting photos were super.
Photo 1: As I pulled back the leaves to see the chicks, they instinctively opened their mouths for food. Look closely there are two chicks in the nest.
Photo 2: A close-up on one of the chicks. Click on the photo to see it enlarged. Note the size of the still growing flight feathers. I am guessing these guys have another week in the nest.
Photo 3: Although this parent did not attack us, he stayed within 1.5 feet of the nest.
Photo 4: Here is the nest in the dogwood tree - easily seen by the passerby. Note the parent above and to the right of the nest visible through the leaves. In the Colvin Run Habitat, this nest would be attacked by predators - squirrels, hawks, crows, possibly even raccoons. The only nest that I have ever observed in the Habitat - other than in my boxes - are abandoned nests seen after the leaves fall from the trees in the fall.
Thanks to Associate Producer Clayton Ahrens on this posting.

Crazy Squirrel

With visits from the foxes becoming less and less frequent, there is an ever increasing squirrel population in the Habitat.
If there is any benefit to the large number of squirrels perhaps it is that at least once a day one of the squirrels poses for pictures or puts on a show.
So here are today's poses and show.
These days, with the squirrels typically gathering in groups of eight or more under the bird feeder, they spend more time fighting then eating.

Toad Seeks the Nighlife

In a recent post, one of the many Colvin Run Habitat toads was taking a swim. The toads are more often observed at night and after a rain.
After a recent thunderstorm passed, I observed this toad in the mulch.
The toad stayed perfectly still for at least ten minutes - even as I used the flash to get the photos.
After I laid completely pron to get a different perspective, the toad finally jumped to face me as seen in this last photo.

Bald Eagle Flies Off Endangered Species List

In the Colvin Run Habitat we are celebrating the 4th of July - American Independence Day - a day of national traditions and symbols.
There may be no greater symbol of the American nation than the Bald Eagle. This is the first 4th of July since 1978 that the bald eagle is not on the endangered species list.
I did not take these bald eagle photos in the Habitat, even though twice in the last decade I have observed an eagle flying over suburban Virgina. Rather, I took these photos at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center.
While visiting the Pickering Creek Center in search of water fowl, my wife spotted this eagle flying about 100 feet above Pickering Creek. The eagle circled for about three minutes allowing plenty of photos - if only he had perched or come closer! He then flew of over the trees.
So for those of you that might be observing the 4th of July, please celebrate the Bald Eagle's flight back from the brink of extinction.

Woodchuck is a Chipmunk

Clarification: for those that you read about Woodchuck two days ago - Woodchuck is not a woodchuck, but rather a chipmunk.
Here are photos of a real live Woodchuck, I mean chipmunk. I sure hope that Woodchuck does not develop an identity crisis.

Raccoon Finally Photographed

Last November, I observed a raccoon while walking a visiting dog at 10 PM. I never imagined seeing, yet alone photographing, a raccoon.
So it was quite a surprise when we returned home this evening that I found a raccoon eating fallen sunflower seeds right under the bird feeder. The lighting conditions were poor at best as it was 14 minutes after official sundown.
The raccoon appeared to be in good health; coat seemed just fine. He saw us and made eye contact when I was taking photos from the porch. He then went about eating more seed. After taking these photos from the porch, I caught this last one (very poor quality) as I attempted to out flank the little guy. When I came from around the trees, he looked straight at me and did not move. Went I retreated, he waited for me to move out of sight, then he left.
What a great treat as I do not expect to soon again see this nocturnal creature.