SOCIAL LIFE AT THE MARTIN TOWER

Male Purple Martin returning to the nest

This is the photo I was hoping to get during my last two visits at the Purple Martin tower at Finleys Landing down by the Mississippi River. The Purple Martins are beautiful looking birds, elegant flyers, and it is very interesting to watch their social behavior. The young martins have hatched and it is such a great joy just to watch the interactions at a breeding tower.

For most of my wildlife photography I try to keep any men-made elements out of the frame, but here I make an exception, supported by a note I found on the Cornell website (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Martin/) :

Native Americans hung up empty gourds for the Purple Martin before Europeans arrived in North America. Purple Martins in eastern North America now nest almost exclusively in birdhouses.

With other words, we enjoy wildlife that has adapted to men-made nesting places since a long time. The towers hold 18 chambers for a Purple Martin nest and at Finleys Landing it looked like almost all were taken. These towers with their plastic gourds may look not very pretty, but the practicality for maintenance (cleaning after the breeding saison) and doing research studies (counting eggs, etc.) is proven. Well, most importantly the Purple Martins must like them and it is so exciting to see how quick the birds accepted the relative new tower at this location.

The nestlings peak out of the box but after the female on the left departed for catching more food, the male on the right pushed them back into the box with his head, I guess using his parent authority…

It seemed like some of the juveniles had already left the nest but this is a matter of interpretation. The juvenile Purple Martins look almost identical to the females that tend them. I’m not sure if this is a jealous female or a young one begging for food. Its clumsy behavior made me believe the latter.

Purple Martins are supposed to be monogamous but that doesn’t mean they can’t be jealous. The male in the center had a happy life until another male didn’t like it, flew in and used its bill vigorously to end the affair. It took less than two seconds and I shot this scene in high-speed shutter release mode with about 14 frames per second. Everybody left the scene uninjured… (June 28th, 2025)

TENDING A SECOND BROOD

Male Eastern Bluebird

It’s exciting to report that our pair of Eastern Bluebirds at the edge of the woods behind the house is working on a second brood. The first one in June contained 4 eggs and I saw three of the juveniles in the backyard on June 28th. I read in the book ”Bluebirds!” by Steve Grooms & Dick Peterson that about 65% of the eggs hatch. With other words, counting three fledgelings after they left the nest seems too be a success.

Shortly after the first brood I had cleaned out the nest box but a few days later one of the male House Wrens had filled it with small twigs and sticks to claim it for himself. I cleaned out again and and a couple days later the female bluebird had built another nest from grass and other soft material. About a week ago I checked the nest again and four eggs were laid. This morning another check revealed that five eggs are in the nest box and none had hatched yet. Looking inside takes only a few seconds and I only do it when both parents are not present.

Female Eastern Bluebird

This was a good reason this afternoon to sit in a camping chair away from the box and watch the bluebirds tending their nest. It was quite warm again today and the female retuned to the nest every 15-20 minutes and spent about 1-2 minutes in the nest box. The male bluebird guards the place from nearby trees and sometimes comes to the roof of the box. The incubation of the second brood takes about 13 days and I’m sure we are not far away from having the babies cracking the egg shells.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Westscott FJ80 II speed light,   @ 840mm (1260 mm equivalent in DX mode), 1/125s, f/9, ISO1600

It was a great opportunity to work with the ”Small Bird Rig” again (see my blog post from June 8th for details on this new setup). The Westcott FJ80II speed light was set to manual mode (range 5) and this very subtle hint of flash reveals the colors beautifully in this ambient light situation with the sun muted by the canopy of the trees.

I have been asked by a photography friend a little while ago about the sharpness of the Z 600 f/6.3 lens combined with the Z 1.4 teleconverter. Well, here is a photo I created today with this combo and also shot in DX mode, means with a smaller part of the sensor. This makes it an equivalent with a focal length of 1260 mm. The photo was shot at 1/125s from a tripod and is not cropped. The low resolution image here in the blog may not reveal every detail but comparing the original RAW files with each other I can’t see any decrease in sharpness by using the teleconverter. This was not always the case with older equipment I used to own.

BUSY PURPLE MARTINS

Male Purple Martin, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

I still have a few photos from our recent trip to Minnesota but today I like to share some actual pictures that were made yesterday. I had received an information about the current breeding activities of the Purple Martins (Thank you Mike!) and went down to Mud Lake at the Mississippi River. Three days ago both breeding towers had more than 75 eggs and almost 30 nestlings had hatched already. The parents were very busy to feed and to guard each nesting chamber. I believe each tower holds 18 chambers.

Female with her latest catch at the martin house

I have plenty of pictures with martins sitting at the entrance of a nest box but I really wanted some shots with a bird in flight, approaching the nest or just hovering in front of it.

However, the second image shows a female with a dragon fly in its bill and waiting in front of the entrance hole of her nest. It took about four minutes before she turned around and entered the box to feed the offspring.

Female Purple Martin

If you are not familiar with the habits and biology of our largest swallow, you can find a lot of information about these birds on the websites of the CornellLab or the Purple Martin Conservation Association.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Martin/

https://www.purplemartin.org

The Purple Martin is a very interesting bird and it is fun to watch how they catch all their food in flight and get their drinks by scooping water from the surface of the river or pond with their lower bill.

MANY NESTING ACTIVITIES

Eastern Bluebird. The male observes the neighborhood in a nearby tree before he brings food to the nestlings.

There is a lot going on in the woods and the nest boxes around here. Hard to follow it all with equal attention.

The Eastern Bluebirds in the nest box have hatched a few days ago. I had a brief look into the box but wasn’t able to see how many nestlings came out of the five eggs because the nest is very deep. Time will tell. Both parents are feeding vigorously and bring caterpillars, spiders, little worms, and moths to their offspring every few minutes. I saw the male still catching insects tonight at 8:45PM . It’s a hungry bunch!

Female American Robin preparing a new nest

Yesterday a female American Robin was building a new nest in a tree just across from my office window. It might be even on top of a first nest that most likely was built at the end of April already. With other words, they work on the second brood already. The female collected very quickly dried grass and other plant material and glued it together with wet dirt from underneath a bird bath. After dropping the grass in the nest the robin rigged it with her feet and it looked like she was trampling it in place. The male watched the surrounding area and chased everyone away that came close to the nest. I saw him a couple times going after the bluebird.

Male House Wren inspecting a nest box.

The tiny male House Wren still sings his heart out to attract a female to one of the nest boxes we provide for them since many years. Once in a while he inspects one of the nesting chambers and the photo was made when he came out of the hole. As I said before, hard to follow all nesting activities at this time of the year…

All images: Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,   @ 840mm,

ON GUARD

Eastern Bluebird, female

Eastern Bluebird, male

This was nine days ago and I knew there were at least five eggs in the bluebird nest box. It was a warm evening and even the female spent time away from the nest, certainly returning for the night later. Both parents were frequently perched in a tree that still had some gorgeous sunlight not far from the nest and they had always an eye on it. The bluebirds obviously avoided to draw attention to the location of the nest. This all made for a good photo opportunity with the long lens and the teleconverter attached, so the parents were not concerned about my presence in the backyard.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z TC-1.4x, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

LEAVING THE NEST, IT’S SCARY!

Young House Wrens leaving the nest

It has been already a week ago but I still like to share this little photo story with you. This is already the third brood of House Wrens that was a successful one this summer season in one of the nest boxes around the house. When the parents think it is time for the offspring to leave the nest they still bring food, like caterpillars, crickets, or bugs but they wait outside the nest box without feeding the little chicks inside. When the first one stuck more than its head out of the hole I knew the time was coming and made the camera ready. Number one didn’t hesitate very long and flew into the bushes nearby after about five minutes. Number two, the one on the right hand side in the picture, waited a few minutes longer, despite the parents called and tried to lure the little guy away from the nest. Well, the desire to eat made the chick finally jump, but only onto the little perch that sticks out of the nest box. There was fear about what’s coming next and he tried to climb back into the box. But no way, number three was already there and the entrance was blocked. Oh boy, after a few seconds of balancing on the wooden stick the young wren finally followed the parents into the woods. Number three didn’t hesitate very long and the nest box was empty.

It’s still early in the season and we hear again a couple male House Wrens around here sending calls out to attract another female. It has been a good breeding season so far, not just for the wrens. We see many young birds around here in the woods and that’s a good thing to write about and to capture it with our photos.

NATURE CLICKS #581 - HOUSE WREN DELIVERS

It has been a successful breeding season for most of the birds here on the bluffs above the Little Maquoketa Valley so far. We have seen young birds from almost all species that call this area their home and also from some of the migrating birds.

As every year, several House Wrens had nests in the bird boxes we provide and the chicks of two successful broods have left the nests already. This male wren with a spider in its bill helps to feed another bunch of nestlings at the moment. I don’t know yet how many of the little guys are in the nest but hopefully will find out when they start to stick their heads out of the box in front of the house. The female flies in probably a little more often with food, but the male watches the nest and distracts potential predators with its loud melodious calls and chatters. The frequency of how often the House Wrens bring more food tells us that there is no lack of insects or spiders this year, with its wet and warm summer so far.

I shot this picture during a time with an overcast last weekend and used a little hint of soft flash to fill in on the bird while it approached carefully the nest.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Westscott FJ80 II speed light, Westscott Magnetic diffusion dome

CARING PARENTS

Male Eastern Bluebird with food in its bill, observing the environment before entering the nearby nest box. @ 850 mm, 1/320 s, f/9, ISO 2000, photo slightly cropped.

We have quite a few stories going on here with birds building a nest or having it already and feed their young ones somewhere around the house. Not for the first time a pair of American Robins built it right on our balcony and they are very busy since a few days, stuffing food into four hungry bills that stick out of the nest.

In the backyard is a bluebird nest box but the last couple years the more aggressive House Wrens took it over and the bluebirds had no chance. Finally this season a pair of Eastern Bluebirds were able to incubate and now the parents started feeding their offspring. How many bird babies are in the nest? We don’t know yet and we do our best not to disturb the birds.

@ 600 mm, 1/400 s, f/7.1, ISO 1000, photo slightly cropped.

I placed myself with the tripod next to some bushes beside our house and wanted to blend in as much as possible. The bluebirds did not hesitate to fly with food to the nest, a sure sign they accepted my presence and didn’t see me as a danger. They land first in a nearby tree and observe the environment of the nest box before they actually enter the entrance hole. The first photo was made at such a perch and I used the 1.4 teleconverter plus a little bit of cropping in post process to keep a safe distance. No picture justifies a threat to the life and well being of an animal.

NATURE CLICKS #572 - EASTERN BLUEBIRDS

Male Eastern Bluebird. Their vibrant blue feathers during breeding season are easy to spot between the trees, even under low light conditions.

Shortly after our return from Oregon I saw a pair of Eastern Bluebirds inspecting a nest box I have built for this particular species a couple years ago. I saw both, the female and the male last weekend again and my hopes grow that they may take possession of the place and built a nest. The biggest competitors are the House Wrens and the first one has already arrived. Last year a male wren stuffed a lot of loose little twigs and branches into the hole and as I later found out, all on top of a bluebird nest. The wrens are much more aggressive and the bluebirds had no chance. We have several bird boxes for the House Wrens but they have their own mind and choose whatever place they like the best. Since we had a breeding pair of Eastern Bluebirds in 2020 in another nest box I still hope it will happen again.

The colors of the female are much more subdued. After a male has attracted a female to his nest site, the female actually builds the nest. Both parents feed the brood.

BUSY BLUEBIRDS

Female Eastern Bluebird

There was some hope a few weeks ago that we may have a pair of Eastern Bluebirds building a nest in a special nest box I provided for them. They tried, but we have a number of House Wrens here in the woods and the males are pretty aggressive and kick any other bird out of a cavity if it is within their claimed territory. So, no bluebird nest again this year in our backyard. I never mind seeing the wrens raising their offspring but it would be nice having young bluebirds as well. Luckily my photography friend Kevin has a pair of bluebirds again this year in one of the nest boxes he installed near his house and he invited me for a shooting session while the parents fed the offspring in the nest last weekend.

Male bluebird, checking the surroundings before entering the nest box

There were some interesting observations to be made. During the whole time, more than an hour, the female didn’t feed the young birds at all. She had food available and in its bill and seemed to act as a backup. The male flew in and kept feeding the brood from time to time. I saw the female swallowing a caterpillar and coming back quickly with another one, but she never entered the nest box. I’m not sure if she gave some of her catch to the male, but he was the only bird feeding their offspring.

Kevin and I had plenty of opportunities making a photo of the female bird while she posed nicely on a branch near the nest box. The males are a lot more colorful but the busy bird flew most of the time directly to the wooden box, checked the surrounding area for any possible danger, and quickly went into the entrance hole. Good times as always, and my thanks go out to Kevin for giving me the opportunity for this photo shoot!

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

NATURE CLICKS #559 - EASTERN BLUEBIRD

This story started already last year, when I built a bird box that was especially designed for bluebirds. The Eastern Bluebird is a cavity nester that may use an old woodpecker hole in a tree or post but nest places became a hot commodity after more aggressive birds, like European Starlings and House Sparrows, became more widespread in the last century. Last year one of our House Wrens used the box for a nest. The bluebirds had no chance.

I photographed this male already while it came to one of our bird baths a few days ago and I became more excited when I saw it again yesterday flying into the entrance hole of the bird box with some nesting material. The nest is mainly built by the female but the males carry bits and pieces in and out of the box to attract a female. Once the female enters the box with the male the bond is established. I haven’t seen the female yet but my hope to have an active nest in this new bird box is growing.

Today’s photo was made right out of my office window on the second floor during the early evening. I had the 1.4 teleconverter between the Sigma 150-600 S and the camera and used the full focal length of 850 mm. The tree is across from the bird box, with some open space between, and the bluebird had obviously a good eye on it. He was cleaning his feathers after I made the first click and the bird gave me about 3 minutes to work with it.

DISCUSSING BLUEBIRDS

Tonight the Dubuque Audubon Society had a program about bluebirds. Jessica Carryer from the Joe Davis Conservation Foundation over in Illinois discussed everything from habitat, how to monitor a bluebird nest box, to all other aspects of conservation of this beautiful bird species with the audience. It was very interesting and gave me and other members of the Audubon Society new ideas for our own conservation efforts.

I thought this was a good reason to present you another photo from a shooting in July with my photography friend Kevin, who is also very active building and monitoring bluebird nest boxes.

This male Eastern Bluebird tried to lure the nestlings out of the box with a good size insect in its bill, but he little guys were not ready to leave that day. The location of Kevin’s bluebird box was perfect. The birds liked it obviously and it was very “photography friendly”, which allowed us to shoot with natural light from a safe distance, and without a bright sky or distracting background.

CARING BLUEBIRDS

Most of the time the parents call from different locations, either in nearby trees or from the top of the nest box. When both of them sat at this branch, it was only a question what bird to focus on. The female with an insect in its bill was the right choice.

The young Eastern Bluebirds in the nest box at my photography friend Kevin were almost ready to leave three days ago. I’m thankful that he called me and I still had a chance to take some pictures of the parent birds while they tried to lure the offspring out of the nest. Luckily they left not before the next day. It was a great setup with a small branch carefully placed not far from the nest box. Both parents waited sometimes several minutes with some food in their bill and quietly called the four nestlings.

The colorful male bluebird calls and lures with a little grub.

I used the 1.4 teleconverter, extending the focal length to 850 mm and allowing me to keep a safe distance to the nest. We did this last year at a different location in Kevin’s yard with the blue sky as a background. This year the green background of vegetation works actually much better for bluebirds and as a result I had a very high keeper rate. Thank you Kevin for arranging a great photo opportunity again!

The female is not as colorful but obviously found the bigger piece of food for the nestlings, a good size grasshopper.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,

NATURE CLICKS #507 - BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (AND MORE)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

The Metadata of my picture library reveal that we have never seen a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at the height of the summer here in our woods. Occasionally I had one in late spring or very early summer in front of the lens. They move very fast up and down on the outer branches and shrubs in search for all kinds of small insects and spiders. This makes taking a sharp image that shows the whole bird a big challenge. You can’t really shoot from a tripod because it would make following the bird’s moves impossible. Changing position constantly and handholding the camera with the long lens is the best option as far as I’m concerned.

This bird is either a female or a juvenile that was born earlier this breeding season. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers can built up to seven nests during one season and have 1-2 broods. There are many reasons for nest loss or brood failure, from parasitism or mite infestation to predation.

Young House Wrens, ten hours before leaving the nest

By the way, our young House Wrens, I had posted about yesterday, Ieft the gourd with the nest this morning at sunrise. I saw the last one jumping into some house plants that we keep on the porch during the summer. Later I heard their chatter in the nearby woods. I hope they all will make it! The male House Wren is already on courtship again and tries to attract a female to one of the other nest boxes. All seasons during a year have exciting moments. The wrens leaving the nest is always one of them!

JOGGING FOR BEST POSITION

House Wren feeding

As always, this time of the year the young House Wrens are jogging for the best position at the entrance of the nesting place the parents have chosen. This time it is an old gourd that hangs from the edge on the side of our porch since many years. The wrens have used it before. The nearby wooden nest boxes we have in the front yard are not used at the moment, but might if another brood will happen this summer. I saw at least three nestlings and it will not take long until they leave the hollow pumpkin. The parents feed every few minutes and the prey they deliver into the hungry bills gets a little bigger every day.

I try to stay away from the nest while taking my pictures and employ the long lens at 600 mm focal length and crop a little bit in addition. It was too dark under the roof of the porch this evening and the speed light was used towards the ceiling to bounce some light at the birds.

It isn’t the only pair of House Wrens that feed their offspring around here. There is another brood in a nest box behind the house and we can hear some chatter from our neighbors backyard as well. We are happy to have them here every summer.