Nesting Has Begun!

We watched an American Crow grab and hold onto a twig until it snapped off the tree. The bird then flew away with the prized stick.

A Canada Goose has opted to nest on top of one of the structures in the animal farm. They must be having success at this location as geese have nested here several years in a row. It makes for a bit of a leap for the goslings after hatching, but they are likely safer from most ground predators at the elevated location.

Brown-headed Cowbirds have returned to our area. "Females forgo building nests and instead put all their energy into producing eggs, sometimes more than 3 dozen in a summer. She lays her eggs in the nests of other birds, abandoning her young to foster parents. This unfortunately results in the death of some of the host bird's offspring. Parents feed the noisiest, biggest babies and Cowbird young usually outweigh their nest mates." (Cornell Lab, All About Birds)

Many Woodpeckers are selecting territory and choosing nesting sites. Several Red-bellied Woodpeckers can be seen and heard drumming in the trees of Canatara Park.

This little lady doesn't make a nest but carries her eggs with her.  A female Crayfish will carry many eggs under her abdomen. The eggs will hatch in 5-8 weeks and the tiny larvae remain with the mother for a few more weeks before heading out on their own!  https://www.crawfishhaven.net/blogs/the-life-cycle-of-a-crawfish

A striped morning sunrise prior to the arrival of the storm.