Tag Archives: nesting materials

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Allen's Hummingbirds nest here on the Mendonoma Coast. Rozanne Rapozo puts out material to aid in their nest building. Here is an Allen's collecting materials for her nest.

I asked Rozanne about the material. She wrote, “I use Songbird Essentials Hummer Helper Nesting Material. Other birds (Chickadees, Nuthatches) help themselves to it also.  It feels sort of like I imagine picked cotton feels.  Light and fluffy with some substance to it.  I use the recommended hanger.”

Allen’s Hummingbirds begin nesting in Mid-February and can continue through late June, and beyond. Anna’s Hummingbirds nest even earlier, from December through early June. If you have to prune tree branches, be very careful to check first for a tiny hummingbird nest, which is about the size of half a walnut shell.

Thanks to Rozanne for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

June gloom! Lots of cool fog with a little clearing in the afternoon.

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Here is Eric Zetterholm's story from Feb. 26.

“I saw Chris Beach pointing his camera at the river as I came into Gualala for work in the morning. I turned around and pulled in next to him to see the two adult Bald Eagles on the logging structure in the river. We said hello and he said that the eagles had been just sitting there and he was waiting for one to take off and fly. I walked up the highway a bit to get a different angle and took a few pictures of the adult eagles together. I zoomed in for some close up shots and then out again to watch for one taking flight. It was then I spotted the young Eagle sitting just below the parents.”

Eric walked back to his car and found several people now watching the Bald Eagles from the riverside.  Eric wrote further, “I mentioned the little one being so hard to see hidden in plain sight, its color blending in with the logs and shadows. No one had seen the young one there, just focusing on the two white-headed adults. I went back up the road and was surprised again to see the adults start mating with the youth having a front row seat."

"Soon after, the male adult gathered up some nesting materials and flew off up river."

"I missed seeing the female adult fly away and left for work with the juvenile still sitting there perplexed. Parents can be so embarrassing.”

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Rozanne Rapozo has nesting material, which we think is raw cotton, available for birds. She recently saw several Anna's Hummingbirds pulling strings of it out of the enclosure.

Anna's Hummingbirds do nest early here on the Mendonoma Coast. They build incredible nests. Here is a photo by the late Siegfried Matull showing the female sitting on her eggs. Her nest is also made of spiderwebs and lichen.

Thanks to Rozanne for allowing me to share her photos with you here, and I always appreciate being able to share the photos of Siegfried.

Cool, breezy, sunny, cloudy...changeable conditions! Rain headed our way in a day or two.

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This happened last year too. Ferne Fedeli watched as a Common Raven hopped on the back of her donkey, Jack, and sheared off hair for its nest. Jack doesn't seem to mind this at all.

Jack the Donkey allows a Common Raven to harvest his hair by Ferne Fedeli

Perhaps it feels good, like being groomed!

Thanks to Ferne for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

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The male Goldfinch in his breeding plumage is a joy to see. Chris Grossman photographed a pair. The female is on the left and it looks like they are gathering nesting materials.

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), Mendocino County, California

American Goldfinches are the latest songbird to breed. They depend on thistle seed and have to wait to see how abundant it will be.

Rick and I have lured them to a thistle feeder and we enjoy seeing them during the spring and summer. Pine Siskins also join them at the feeder, along with a clever Acorn Woodpecker now and then.

To hear the song of a Goldfinch, here's the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_goldfinch/sounds

Thanks to Chris for allowing me to share his photo with you here.