An Unfortunate End to My Nesting Red-breasted Nuthatches

I meant to post this last week, but a severe storm knocked down the branch with the nesting cavity of a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches in my front yard. The adults were no where to be found and I have not seen them since. The branch was left on the ground with the hole facing earth and when I picked it up two eggs rolled out and crashed to the ground. I’m going to fix up the branch, install a camera, and rig it back up in hopes some other birds will take over the cavity next year.

But I am monitoring a Willow Flycatcher nest in Wyoming. Currently the female is on eggs. Once they hatch I’m going to try to get video through my scope of the parents feeding the hatchlings.

Other than that, I’m pretty much on birding hiatus until later in July when the shorebirds start coming back through. There’s a potential for returning shorebirds as early as the first week of July, but I probably won’t start my obsessive monitoring until the fourth week.

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Countdown to 300

After re-entering birding in June 2007 and subsequently throwing away my life list, I am finally approaching 300 species on my new life list. So I’m going to countdown the last ten.

#290 Arctic Tern
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA Oct. 24, 2009
After a crazy storm pushed down lots of seabirds. Not accepted by PORC but I didn’t get a photo. But I’m positive of ID.

#291 Common Eider
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#292 Lapland Longspur
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#293 King Eider
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#294 Ivory Gull
Cape May, NJ Dec. 6, 2009
Seen on my first true “chase” of a single bird.

#295 Cackling Goose
Harvey’s Lake, PA Dec. 9, 2009
Weird to see this on my list after a mega like Ivory Gull, but I wasn’t very aware of this species since it wasn’t it’s own species when I originally birded. Then I haven’t crossed paths with it since studying up on the ID until now.

#296 Brown-headed Nuthatch
Lewes, DE Apr. 2, 2010

#297 Little Gull
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA Apr. 10, 2010
This was on my most wanted list for a while. Now on to Black-headed Gull.

#298 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
PPL Riverlands, PA June 14, 2010
In county lifer. Nice.

#299 Black-headed Gull
Bombay Hook, DE August, 21 2010
One of my most wanted birds. Check.

#300 Clay-colored Sparrow
Forty Fort, PA September, 16 2010
The fight is over! And it ends in what is my most birded locales!!