I decided to do some birdwatching on a lovely June morning at Humber Bay. Clearly the egg stage of many species is now finished and chicks are out exploring the world. I was able to photograph chicks of 6 different species.
Red-necked Grebe
MYSTERY BIRD
I will identify it at the end of the post.
Canada Goose
Tree Swallow
Common Grackle
European Starling
Red-winged Blackbird
Some chicks that I have photographed in the past:
MYSTERY BIRD
No wing bars and lack of black borders on the eyebrow stripe indicate Warbling Vireo. (still singing at Humber Bay)
NATURE POETRY
What does little baby say,
In her bed at peep of day?
Baby says, like little birdie,
“Let me rise and fly away.”
“Baby sleep, a little longer,
Till the little limbs are stronger.”
If she sleeps a little longer,
Baby too shall fly away. – Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Miles Hearn
Thanks for these wonderful pictures. I too saw the Red Necked Grebe chicks at Humber Bay but my photos, done with my phone, were too small.
Thanks for continuing to share your walks.
Oh I loved the Red- necked Grebe chick being fed by his Pa. What an amazing close-up .
Your photos are sensational.
Adorable–of course! And fascinating! The size and appearance of certain bird chicks is unexpected to someone who isn’t familiar with what they look like (me!), but I’ve learned from you that they often appear larger than the parent! And the stripes and eye circles on the Red-necked Grebe chick–incredible! I wasn’t sure which of the two was father and which was son in the case of the Northern Flickers. I know the chicks are sometimes bigger–I figured the one with the open mouth is the chick, but it has the red on top of the head, and the other one doesn’t appear to have it (in this picture), so I wasn’t certain. My money is on the one with the open mouth being the chick, but I’m not really sure. Talk about the “mystery bird”! Thanks, Miles!