We have a variety of baby birds around. We enjoy watching them make their attempts to get food from our feeders. One little Tufted Titmouse ran along the top edge of a suet feeder trying to figure out how to get to the food. It finally discovered that it must fly and land on the grids of the feeder.
By far the biggest baby bird we see is the Pileated Woodpecker. By the time they leave the tree cavity, they are as big as the adults. But they still have the same learning curve as the smaller birds.
The young Pileated waits on the tree to be fed.
When the parent did not come to feed the bird as usual, it decided to try on its own. It landed on the arm of the feeder and cried out for the parent.
Then it flew back to the tree, having given up on this attempt. Fortunately the parent came to the tree once again to feed the big baby. But very soon the parent will stop feeding it and it will eventually figure out how to fly to the feeder. Often this involves antics such as clinging to the side of the building or landing on the deck railing. But like most youngsters, it will finally the basics.
In the meantime, it gives us a lot of pleasure to watch the attempts.
14 comments:
How wonderful it must be to watch this beautiful Pileated Woodpecker grow up. So cute and so big!
One of the many delights of summer.
I do so love watching the youngsters learning the ropes.
Lovely images.......
I love watching them at our feeders, too, but I've never heard any such antics. When a cowbird hatched in our bluebird box once, it was the loudest, screechiest giant baby I'd ever heard. It flew up to the ridge of the garage roof and would stomp back and forth in a tantrum until the poor, overworked bluebirds served up its meals. Still angry with myself for not knowing to take that big white egg out of the box.
You are fortunate to be able to enjoy scenes like this ... bird watching can be so much fun.
Have a happy week
All the best Jan
I love the birds in the Carolina woods. Our Chapel Hill friends are currently visiting, and have been telling us the great tales of the babies.
Nice shots.
How neat to get watch birds teach the young ones how to find food. Super facinating that you got to watch the Pileated baby learn the ropes. They are such neat birds and evidently not terribly smart freshly fledged.
I love birds! You are blessed to see those big babies...we are blessed, too. I've been enjoying the ruby-throated hummers zooming around over our heads. I saw a pair of cardinals raise a young one this year, too.
I can see it squawking in the last shot! Hahaha!
How wonderful to have such a close up view! I'm sure it is fascinating to watch!
You describe it so well!!!! Around here, the Hairy Woodpeckers are our biggest and most vocal babies. I can only imagine what it's like to watch the antics of a pileated woodpecker baby. Thanks for making me smile!
I have never known a pileated woodpecker to come to a feeder !! The few times I have had them near is when they came to the dead tree near ny house. I LOVE your pictures.
We never get them at our feeder either but our woodsy neighborhood has been developed to the point that it now suburban lawns with only scattered trees. We no have to visit our nearby State Park with its dense woods to see the pileateds....
We have pileateds round but they never come to our feeders. I love seeing the big baby!
Thank you for your comments, everyone. We now have a new set of twin Pileated fledglings. Twice the fun.
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