Sunday, July 07, 2013

Bronte Harbour Babies

Bronte Harbour Babies
6 July 2013


    Having previously been advised that the Red-necked Grebes Podiceps grisegena had two chicks we went down to Bronte Harbour yesterday to check it out. Not only do the grebes have two healthy youngsters they are also sitting on a second clutch of five eggs.

Juvenile Red-necked Grebe

Juvenile Red-necked Grebe

Adult and Juvenile Red-necked Grebe

Nest with five eggs

Adult with two chicks

Fish for lunch


    In addition to the grebe chicks present in the water there were also two families of Mute Swans Cygnus olor. Given their fluffy, downy appearance and the stately grace of the adults, they seemed to garner all of the attention of the general public.

Mute Swan Cygnets

Adult with five cygnets

Second family of Mute Swans


Close-up
Downy Young

    
    American Cliff Swallows Petrochelidon pyrrhonota had also a sizeable colony with many active nests containing young.

Adult and young peeking out

     As might be expected numerous American Cliff Swallow nests had been usurped by House Sparrows Passer domesticus and and there was a great deal of activity as adults tirelessly fed their young.

Adult  female feeding young

David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

2 comments:

  1. David, I don't know how to reach you.

    At 2;30 Pm Sunday July 7, there were Stilt Sands and Short-billed
    Dowitcher at Ellacott Landing, plus

    Fred Urie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Fred:
    On the assumption that you will check back at this blog my email address is theospreynest@sympatico.ca. My telephone number is 519 725-0866.
    Thanks for the news about the shorebirds.
    David

    ReplyDelete

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