Chicks abound

‘Tis the season to see chicks. Here are a few seen over this last week. Of the six pictures shown, three were taken by my visiting nine-year-old grandson, Finn. He took them all when nature watching on his own.

Even after fledging, nuthatch chicks do not know how to feed themselves and continue to be fed by a parent. That the bird on the right is a chick is evident not only by the activity, but also its yellow gape and bill.

Finn found a flicker in a nest. Again, the bill and the lack of colouring on the head show this to be a chick.

This is my shot of a mother Bald Eagle and her two chicks.

When I thought that there wasn’t much point in taking yet another picture of geese, Finn tried anyway and turned up something interesting: a leucistic goose—see the white crown of the female. Two years ago I photographed what is probably the same leucistic goose.

This is my shot of a lonely mallard chick. It was wondering along the shore apparently looking for its mother. It has just picked up a leaf off the lake and promptly ate it.

And Finn’s early morning shot of a merganser mommy and her chicks wins the cuteness award.

Finn Fraser Grathwol’s images are used with permission.