June 22, 2005 [LINK]
Kestrel nest in Verona
Thanks to an e-mail alert sent by Lisa Hamilton of the Augusta Bird Club, Jacqueline and I got a good close-up view of a young American kestrel this morning. Just as we arrived, I spotted an adult leaving the nest cavity near the corner of a government building in nearby Verona. The juvenile, which looks like it's ready to fledge any day now, popped in and out of view for the next few minutes, but the adult did not return. This was after we enjoyed another pleasant stroll along Bell's Lane, where we saw Willow flycatchers, Brown thrashers, an Indigo bunting, and three juvenile robins, but no Orchard orioles this time. Yellow warblers were heard but not seen.
Yesterday afternoon there was an amusing sight in our back yard: a female Mallard leading twelve (12) babies on an arduous trek to better feeding grounds. A neighbor and I shepherded them across the busy street, holding back traffic for a minute until they were safe. Cute video clip pending...