Lots of birds are fledging, coveys of quail, snakes waking up and Monarchs taking over.
First an update on the Nuttall’s Woodpeckers. I’m sad to say that the adult male disappeared early into my monitoring. I’ll never know for sure but we have a least one Cooper’s hawk in the area that also has some chicks to feed and there’s a good chance that this is where our woodpecker met its end. I often hear the local Jays and other birds’ loud alarm calls, sometimes a snake, but more often a Cooper’s Hawk.
Cooper’s hawks are some of the most stealthy of all accipiters. I often find them lurking around….
The biggest of the brood, this male, fledged early. He was reluctant, but I was able to return him to the cavity. Otherwise he would have been predated by one of any number of animals or birds.
I saw why he was so reluctant. There was another one in there and it was getting a little cramped….
Eating, it’s what chicks do best!
One week after the previous video, the first chick was ready to fledge. This one is the male, the other is a female. The parent stopped feeding the chicks on this morning to encourage them to leave the nest and sure enough, this one left the same day.
Both successfully fledged and I witnessed both of them in subsequent days in the surrounding area and canopy. This is the same little male from the previous video.
Like the adult male woodpecker, sometimes the circle of life is not pretty. Last year I witnessed a Gopher snake take three small altricial Oriole chicks from their nest. This year the tables were turned…..
The adult Red Shouldered Hawk flew off with the snake, maybe to feed it’s recently fledged offspring that I mentioned in a previous post, seen here. I’ve been watching her getting harassed by the local crows for a month or so.
Talking of snakes…. The warmer days are definitely bringing them out and snakes are definitely good to have around. Along with owls and raptors they provide important natural rodent control. I found this beautiful Red Diamond on one of the trails around the Lake.
One of the local pair of Cooper’s Hawks had 4 chicks that have successfully fledged. The largest of the bunch, a female, can be seen here enjoying breakfast. Nature’s rodent control.
Let’s hope these small quail chicks don’t fall prey to any predators any time soon.
Their chances are better when under the watchful eye of their dad.
The birds aren’t the only animals that have been busy reproducing. This monarch, and maybe a few others, laid over 30 eggs. If you look carefully in the video you can see this monarch laying an egg. I’ve been busy watching the caterpillars grow with some having already produced a chrysalis. Our milkweed has been decimated 🙂 We’re hoping the milkweed can bounce back quickly enough for the next round….
With so many caterpillars, there’s not that much Milkweed left
Already 1 of 9 chrysalides that are a few days in. Next month I’ll post an update.
Good luck little fella!
The newly fledged male Nuttal’s gave me one last opportunity to snap a full length photo before he headed off into the wilds of Lake Hodges. It’s a dangerous world out there… Good luck, maybe I’ll see you in the future with chicks of your own!
Please contact me directly by email if interested in heading out on the Lake or walking the area for any photography or videography. The Lake has only a limited number of days each week / season open for boating, so I’m happy to visit other local reservoirs and locations if needed. Walking and hiking is accessible any day, 365 days a year. As a 30+ year resident I’m very familiar with all of San Diego County and have a pulse on the local activity. Feel free to share on your preferred Social Media, and subscribe at the foot of this page.
Until next time
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One of my favorite aspects of the site is the way in which a potential print can be hung on a mockup of the room in which it’s intended. The room can be changed, the wall color can be changed, and even a photo loaded of the ACTUAL room. Shop with confidence that the print will indeed compliment the room and décor. https://www.lakehodgesphototours.art/shop-art.
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