Nest Thief

American Goldfinch The thief.

Cedar Waxwing The original nest builder with a piece on the way. The female does most, if not all, of the work.

American Goldfinch and Cedar Waxwing American Goldfinch on lower left pulling pieces out of the nest as the Cedar Waxwing, upper right, builds.

American Goldfinch and Cedar Waxwing One of many visits the American Goldfinch makes as it steals from the bottom of the nest and flies off to make its own.

Cedar Waxwing On the alert about the activity, yet doing nothing about it yet.

Cedar Waxwing Standing by, not taking part either way it would seem.

Whitetail Deer Owen Park in Madison has a resident population, mostly bold and also active in the daytime.

Whitetail Deer This female appears to have a full udder, so must be nursing a fawn nearby.

Indigo Bunting One of the brilliant inhabitants of Owen Park singing from a vantage point overlooking the prairie.

Indigo Bunting Time for a bit of preening.

Cooper's Hawk Perched on a rotting log, sort of hunting, this juvenile begins to get irritated at insects beneath.

Cooper's Hawk Trying to figure out just what's going on, it flew up and back, searching underfoot.

Cooper's Hawk Serious talons, one sunlit.

Cooper's Hawk Farther away an adult perched as another flew in from the prairie with a small rabbit.

Common Yellowthroat A female keeping an eye on intruders.

Common Yellowthroat She complained a great deal as she moved through the brush and plants.

Common Yellowthroat A brief look down and then off farther away, maybe trying to draw attention away from a nest.

Swallowtail Butterfly A few intermittently drifted here and there as they fed on the nectar of flowers.

House Wren Everywhere and sure to let you know they are present.

House Wren Two at once, probably siblings from a nest in the past few weeks.

Gray Catbird Another abundant resident with an amazing variety of songs and calls, though mostly meows late in the summer.

Eastern Phoebe Early in the season they can be heard continuously calling at dawn, but fall mostly silent as the summer wears on.

Lily A domestic escapee at the edge of the trail at Ho-Nee-Um in the University of Wisconsin Arboretum, Madison.

© Michael Bailey All Rights Reserved; Not for reproduction.
No photograph from this blog may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means whatsover.

Great Blue Heron

Tufted Titmouse Eating a peanut from a feeder while always on the alert for danger.

Gray Catbird High and out in the open for a change to survey for both intruders and dangers.

Eastern Phoebe Though full-grown, sitting and waiting for a parent to come and feed it.

Great Blue Heron From the force of a just-completed wing downbeat a spreading circle around it's shadow on the pond surface.

Great Blue Heron Wings straight out as it continues across the pond to find a perch in the trees at the edge of the water.

Great Blue Heron The scenic view at Stricker's Pond

Wood Duck Late season three young Wood Ducks clustered with their mother, always cautious of every intruder.

Yellow Warbler A beautiful yellow warbler bright against the shadowy willow leaves.

Downy Woodpecker A female searching a skinny branch, with a companion inches away.

Downy Woodpecker The companion. A male, also tap-tap searching for insects.

Eastern Bluebird Worm ready and only a short hop below to feed youngsters waiting in the birdhouse.

House Wren Curious, talkative, and a bit aggressive, quiet for a split second or two.

Cedar Waxwing Striking with colors and crest, particularly the red tips on the ends of the wings

Ruby-throated Hummingbird A female hovering to feed on sugar water.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird A more relaxed sit and drink technique, but only for a few seconds, aeons in hummingbird time.

White-tailed Deer Down in the pond to munch on water lilies.

Indigo Bunting A brilliant slash of color against the dew-covered grass.

Indigo Bunting And equally brilliant against the forest canopy and sky.

Purple Coneflower Dizzying in detail and a bit overwhelming in color.

House Wren Perched quietly while partly hidden in the twigs and grass.

Eastern Kingbird As high as possible to scan the prairie, ready to chase off any interloper.

© Michael Bailey All Rights Reserved; Not for reproduction.
No photograph from this blog may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means whatsover.

Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat Early morning wing cleanings in the bright sunlight. Right wing first.

Common Yellowthroat On top of the right wing.

Common Yellowthroat A good stretch out, like a traffic signal. Go this way, not the other.

American Robin Two sat quietly grooming themselves in the gravel until one suddenly decided a dive bombing was in order.

American Goldfinch Perched in the thistles while looking for seeds, probably for nesting, if not food.

House Wren Squatter in an house intended for another species.

Indigo Bunting High on a bare branch as it sings loudly away.

Eastern Bluebird A simple and elegant beauty, along with a equally quiet call and pristine song.

Eastern Kingbird On the lookout for trouble as it usually allows no other birds in its territory. None at all.

Great Crested Flycatcher Everywhere, yet often not seen as they prefer the high canopy of the tree tops.

Gray Catbird Giving out one of its namesake meowing calls.

Eastern Meadowlark This one was doing its chatter, but seemed to believe it was performing a good Meadowlark song.

Sandhill Crane One of two parents and a colt foraging a small prairie.

Sandhill Crane One adult hung back where it thought the hunting had to be better, though it let out a bugle and soon followed.

Sandhill Crane One adult and the youngster.

Sandhill Crane The youngster alone. When it laid down to rest, the parents stoppped to stand guard, highly protective as ever.

Cliff Swallow An old barn in use as a cliff for dozens, if not hundreds of swallows.

Cliff Swallow Most of the swallows here are juveniles, flitting in and out with the sublime grace of all swallows.

© Michael Bailey All Rights Reserved; Not for reproduction.
No photograph from this blog may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means whatsover.