Spring (or at least nest-building material) is in the mouth

It’s always nice when I discover that my camera has seen more than I did when I took a shot. That has happened lately, as spring gets ready to turn to summer, when I see “Well well, the little creature seems to be building a nest!”

(Of course I am also very aware of seeing apparent competition between individuals, whether they are “conspecifics” [of the same species] or not. Spring seems to be the time for fighting as well as mating and nest-building.)

Here are three bird species that happen to be similar in size and one mammal—a chipmunk—captured in four shots.

FlyingWithNestingMaterial; AnasaziRidge; 2June2017; 4860B
Perhaps a Western Bluebird? (Anasazi Ridge, Flagstaff, AZ)
FemaleEveningGrosbeakWithNestingMaterial; Cheshire; 6May2017; 3490B
Female Evening Grosbeak (Cheshire neighborhood, Flagstaff, AZ)
RobinCollectingNestingMaterial; KarenCooperTrail; 2June2017; 4941
(Mother?) Robin collects plant matter as nesting material (Cheshire neighborhood, Flagstaff, AZ)
ChipmunkWithNestingMaterial; Arboretum of Flagstaff; 18May2017; 6036B
A chipmunk stuffs its cheeks with plant matter for its nest (The Arboretum at Flagstaff, AZ)

 

For more photos, including several that are quite analogous to these four, please feel free to go here to my SmugMug site.

 

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