CatbirdDesign

Monday Morning Blue...bird
Male Bluebird delivering an insect to the nest box
6/1/26 in Canton, MA

First Sunday trio of June...recent encounters
Info about each species, dates, and locations on individual pics

All set up at the Mansfield Spring Vendor Fair on Mansfield Common - 6 Park Row, Mansfield, MA

Wild Turkey Poults are precocial: covered with down, relatively well-developed, and able to leave the nest within a day of hatching. Hatchlings have a yolk sack that feeds them for the first couple days of life. During this time, the tiny birds follow their mother and mimic her behavior. By the third day or so, the tiny birds are picking up tiny insects on their own. The little fluff balls in this photo are probably not more than a few days old.
Wild Turkey Poults
5/27/26 in Canton, MA

Happy first Friday of June from this little Alvin, who is enjoying some sort of either seed pod or insect he found.
Eastern Chipmunk
6/1/26 in Canton, MA

The US and Canada have well over 200 species of Skipper Butterflies! Several features set the Skippers apart from other butterflies. They have stout bodies, big heads and very rapid, erratic flight. They are much smaller than the average butterfly and most are not brightly colored. They wear tones of brownish orange, yellow, black, or gray. Flowers that attract other butterflies, such as coneflowers, asters, milkweeds, etc., also attract adult Skippers.
Skipper Butterfly on clover blossom.
5/27/26 in Canton, MA

When spring arrives it’s the female Mallard's job to look for a place to build a nest, while her mate just follows her around. Mallards need to be close to water, but not all couples can afford waterfront property, so the female will pick a spot as close as she can get, which may be in a brushy or wooded area a few hundred yards away from water. Here’s where things get interesting. After being together for most of the winter, the Mallard couple separates. While she alone builds the nest and lays the eggs, the drake stakes out a territory in a nearby area of the pond. His job is to defend this feeding area so the female will have a place to rest and eat in between her nesting chores. When she needs a break from her duties, she’ll fly to his territory to feed. However, once all of her eggs are laid, the drake takes off, and the female Mallard incubates the eggs alone.
Female Mallard
5/27/26 in Canton, MA

Many species of turtles, such as this Painted Turtle are on the move here in New England...it's egg laying time and Mama Turtles are trekking to their nesting grounds. Nest sites, established by their ancestors, can be quite a distance from the ponds in which the Turtles reside. Sometimes the journey can entail crossing busy roadways, so please drive carefully and be vigilant. If you see a Turtle making its way across a road and it's SAFE FOR YOU to do so, follow these directions: If driving, put on your hazard lights and slowly pull over onto the shoulder. Assess the situation. It might be best to just stand guard as the turtle crosses on its own. If the turtle is not moving away from danger, pick it up (as you would a hamburger) and move it across the street in the direction that it was already going. Turtles know where they want to go to nest, so putting them in the direction they are heading will help them get there faster. If the turtle you encounter is a snapping turtle, be particularly careful. They have very long necks and very short tempers. Keep your hands as close to their backside as possible or use a shovel, a heavy piece of cardboard, etc.
Painted Turtle
5/27/26 in Canton, MA

Time to turn the calendar page! Welcoming June with Trumpeter Swans that I encountered in Anchorage, Alaska last June...

Monday morning blue...
Eastern Blue Jay
5/22/26 in Canton, MA