Violet-green swallow adults "park" their newly fledged chicks on the utility line near house, and bring food for them, like they did when the chicks were in the nest!
Newly fledged violet-green swallow chick on utility line
Baby bird can see parent swooping towards it with food
Food delivery - parent bird is on the right
Adult on left flies away, as chick recovers itself in the air
Food encounter dislodges chick from its perch, but it flies around to land again on the wire, in order to be ready for another feeding.
| There were three chicks, and two different pairs of adults bringing food to their respective fledglings. | 
A different chick waiting for its parents to return with food
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Western Bluebird at nest box, lower orchard
Was concerned about this nest box, especially since the other one with the tree swallows got raided - this one on the bottom looked like some animal had been pawing at it, trying to get into the box.
Predator control for the bluebird nest box
| After some research on the internet, I wrapped the pole with sheet metal (makes the pole harder to grip), put a vent collar around it to make any access to the box more difficult, and smeared the sheet metal wrapping with a mixture of petroleum jelly and hot sauce! You can see the mud spot on the bottom of the box, where the birds do not perch, as if perhaps a raccoon or other animal had tried to disturb the nest by breaking in. |
Female bluebird in nest box tries to take food offering from the male, perched on the outside
After working on and around this nest box, I went back later to make sure the birds were still active in the box after the disturbance.
 Female bluebird gets ready to leave the nest box | Activity seemed normal after the predator control work, and I know I will sleep better - did not want the heartache of another box being raided. |
Coyote While watching the bluebird nest, I noticed in the open field next to it, that there was this small, very skinny coyote looking for food.
Found another acorn woodpecker nest! This one is also in an old dead pine tree stump, but it is much lower to the ground than the one on the property.
One adult leaves the nest, and another one goes in
These trees are full of holes that the woodpeckers have bored into in for winter storage of acorns
This violet-green swallow chick is "parked" on a tree branch near the farm, and the parents were bringing food, just like the ones near the house
Anna's hummer, back yard