the birds are nesting

With the snow and cold behind us (hopefully!) the birds are nesting and beginning to have fledgelings. This vesper sparrow is singing to defend his territory.

Brewers sparrow nest in a clump of bluebunch wheatgrass.

A vesper sparrow nestling, still at that stage where nestlings are very strange and ugly looking.


There is a sparrow sitting on a nest in this sagebrush. Can you see it? When incubating, birds often won't flush until you're about a foot away. Thus, one nest finding method is to wander around hitting likely looking shrubs with a nest stick. Some species won't move even if you poke them with a nest stick.