July fledgling stories

George Walter

Photo by Jill Severn

THURSTON'S BIRDS

Bushtit – a unique bird species

For our avian neighbors, July is Fledging Month. I was reminded of this a few days ago when a large bird flew right overhead screaming desperately. It was a fledgling Bald Eagle, recently out of the nest, chasing its parent and loudly proclaiming “I’m still just a kid! Feed me, feed me.”

Red-tailed Hawk screaming

A similar experience happened twice along the Chehalis Western Trail. This time a fledgling Red-tailed Hawk screaming “EEK, EEK” at the top of its lungs.

These are the two species you are likely to see, and hear, overhead in our area. Eagle juveniles will appear black with various white feathers on their bodies. Red-tail juveniles will appear light tan or brownish and are much smaller. Another mark of recent fledglings is the appearance of random feathers or fluff poking out here and there.

Earlier in the fledging season, these juveniles stayed put in the trees, and the adults brought them food. They called more to make sure that they had not been forgotten. Now their flight feathers are fully grown, and they can fly like their parents.

And so, they are now chasing their parents and making a terrible racket. I suspect the parents of these fledglings are trying to “wean” them from parental care and the youngsters are complaining about it. (This may sound familiar to human parents.) Soon young birds will be on their own, having learned that loud screaming and successful hunting don’t mix well.

Occasionally you might hear fledglings from one of the smaller hawks (Cooper’s Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk). They are quieter than their larger cousins, but not so much that you would notice.

One of the larger raptors, the Osprey, may still have young in the nest. This fish-eating species occupies large nests at the top of trees, or any other tall structure – for example, utility towers. They take an exceptionally long time to incubate their eggs (30-42 days) and, therefore, their young fledge rather late in the summer season. You can find Ospreys this month and next at the Port of Olympia, where there’s a nest just south of the Hearthfire parking lot, and around area lakes and shorelines.

Earlier this month something similar to the hawks and eagles was going on with the gulls. But on a recent trip to Long Beach, I noticed that the crying and chasing had ended. Apparently, the gull fledglings have graduated, and are no longer demanding parental support.

Brown Pelicans in the water

And, on another coastal note, the Brown Pelicans have returned from their California breeding colonies. They migrate north after breeding, reaching Washington about right now. They will gather in greater numbers as the summer season progresses, taking advantage of congregating small bait fish. A long line of these large birds riding along the air currents just above the surf is an unforgettable sight. In August and September, you are very likely to see these birds wherever you go on our coast (and some years even in Puget Sound).

Brown Pelicans in flight

Interesting fledgling behavior is harder to see among the smaller birds. They usually don’t stay out in the open, and their vocalizations are much quieter. And, for many species, their young hatched earlier and have already become independent. The swallows, however, are an exception. On Monday I saw three fledgling Barn Swallows hunched together on a small utility wire. They were only about six feet away and I could see that they had dull colors compared to adults. One was snoozing, but the other two were constantly glancing around, on the alert for a parent coming with food.

Adult swallows capture a wide variety of flying insects, some quite small. Since these insects ride the air currents, the swallows may have to fly some distance to find their prey. They usually don’t return to their young until they have a good-sized mouthful. I happened to see Barn Swallows, but this description also applies to Violet-green and Tree swallows which also gather on wires for ready observation.

More on Bushtits

A Bushtit coming out of its nest

A JOLT reader sent me a link for a great video of Bushtits visiting a birdbath (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJOEY_U0zAE ). Just watching this flock in action will give you a wonderful look at why they are a much-loved species. Also, the accompanying photo from Liam of a Bushtit peeking out from its nest shows just how cute these birds can be.

George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department: he also has a 40+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com

Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, a 17-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.