Last month we had a stretch of unusually warm weather which accelerated the growth of many flowering tree species. In visiting the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge over the weekend, it looks like the birds are a little early, too.
This is the first time I have photographed Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and felt fortunate to find a pair at their nest hole. The male had just pulled his head out of the hole after feeding the little ones. He flew off a few seconds later and the female entered the nest.
A nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge near Seneca Falls, New York. Nikon D700/80-400VR, 1/250s, f/16, ISO 200, EV 0, 400mm, cropped.
Nearby a pair of Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) were relaxing on the pond the bluebird nest overlooks.
A pair of Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge near Seneca Falls, New York. Nikon D700/80-400VR, 1/250s, f/13, ISO 200, EV 0, 400mm focal length, cropped.
Back at the refuge’s visitor center, the Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were busy gathering and feeding their broads at the nesting boxes.
A nesting pair of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge near Seneca Falls, New York. Nikon D700/80-400VR, 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 200, EV 0, 400mm focal length.
The refuge was very quiet and the continued improvements I talked about last year are still being worked on. Those improvements are done by bulldozers, backhoes and dump trucks bringing a lot of intrusions to what is normally a quiet natural area. Once they are completed, I will be looking forward to seeing even more wildlife pairing up.
