I found a Western Wood-Pewee nest that was low enough on a limb where you could watch it and see what was going on. I called Patrick at the arboretum and we met to look at it through his scope. He can attach his phone to the scope and we took these photos. Thanks Patrick!
It was fun watching the parents feed nestlings. The babies would open their bills wide and stretch their heads as high as possible. After they were fed, they would lay their heads down on the side of the nest and rest. The three babies are already filling up the nest. The parents have to perch on the side, wiggle their way over them to sit on the nest, and still can’t completely cover them. The babies were so beautiful with the morning sunlight illuminating their down feathers.
All About Birds by The Cornell Lab writes: “The female builds a dense and compact nest out of grasses, plant fibers, bark, and plant down. She uses spiderwebs to bind the nesting material together and camouflages the outside of the nest with mosses, bud scales, and insect skins. She lines the inside with fine grasses and feathers. It takes her anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks to complete the nest, which measures about 3 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall.”
This is a fun bird to watch and get to know. Happy birding and I hope to see you out there!
