Baby, Babies Everywhere

In Maine, where I try to escape to as soon as school is over, we found a nesting Eastern Phoebe over the kitchen door. It is the perfect place; a small ledge under/protected by a porch. The first day there I could see two little beaks coming up when mom arrived, but mom was also still sitting. A couple days later I could make out three babies. On the last day as I took pictures there were four babies with open beaks!

Mom or dad on the look out for bugs, juicy bugs.

When I returned from Maine I went to Breezy Point to see Common Tern babies. I found babies of all sizes and ages. Those still under mom are 1-3 days old usually. They were so much fun to watch.

Fish please! Down here, don't you see us.

I don't want the grass, I want a fish, please!

Hope you are all enjoying the summer. Shore birds are coming back, Yeah!

Birding N Truro and Wellfleet - Cape Cod

Feeding a Black-capped Chickadee in Beech Forest Trail.
I spent a few days in N Truro on Cape Cod with a friend last week. It was great fun and we saw a variety of birds. These are just a few for now.

Tufted Titmouse (juvinile I believe)

Chipping Sparrrow

Orchard Oriole

Saltmarsh Sharp-Tailed Sparrow

Eastern Phoebe

Male Northern Cardinal without head feathers - the naturalist who lead our walk said it probably had head mites. Can you see the ear?

Green Heron- This was the first green heron for me, but before the walk was finished we stopped in at the pond again and there were 4 of them!

The birds I saw on the Cape before and not including South Beach - * the ones with the asterick after it were life birds for me:
Wild Turkey with 3 chicks
Carolina Wren *
Green Heron*
Short Billed Dowitcher *
Field Sparrow *'Saltmarsh Sharpe-Tailed Sparrow *
Lesser Yellowlegs
Great Blue Heron
American Goldfinch (male and female)
Blue Jay
Red -breasted Nuthatch
House Finch
Northern Cardinal
Ruddy Turnstone *
Red-winged Blackbird (male and female)
Cedar Waxwing
Chipping Sparrow
Orchard Oriole * (male and female)
Eastern Towhee
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Least sandpiper
Semi-palmated Sandpiper
Willet
Piping Plover
Semi-palmated Plover
Bank Swallow *

I'll post about birding on South Beach in a couple of days. Actually didn't get as many good photos but saw some great migrating shore birds.