During bird nesting season we had an unusually large number of thunderstorms with strong winds this year, and I wondered if that would affect the number of baby birds that would be able hatch and survive.
Now that the parents are bringing their offspring to the bird feeders (a bird version of a family trip to a fast food restaurant!), I know I needn’t have worried. I don’t remember when I’ve seen this many baby birds before.
So far I’ve seen baby Downy Woodpeckers, European Grackles, House Finches, Northern Cardinals, House Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, Mourning Doves and even Red-winged Blackbirds (a relatively new addition to the neighborhood).
A baby House Wren even checked out the feeders even though they are insect eaters.
The parents start to look a little exhausted this time of year because not only are they on the home stretch of bringing new life into the world, but most birds also go through a feather molt in late summer.
The tired adults are just as happy as the curious youngsters to have a quick place to grab some food.
