Cedar Waxwing Courtship Ritual

 

When the cherry trees are blooming and the air is heady with the fragrances of spring, the Cedar Waxwings dance their elegant courtship ritual among the blossoms. The male plucks a petal, then gently hands the precious object to his mate, who hops away, then back and returns it to him. The male then in turn hops away, then back to return the petal, and so this goes as the two form a deep connection.

Wood Duck Family

 

As spring brushes its joyful green fingers across the verdant hills, a mother wood duck brings her brood out to play upon the quiet waters of an emerald pool, tucked away in the folds of the forest. Here in this idyllic green oasis of nature the ducklings may grow in peace, exploring their world and finding wonder in everything. 

Redwing blackbirds leaping on lilypads

I observed this unusual behavior being exhibited by the Redwing Blackbirds in a local pond. The wide floating leaves of the lily pads are just strong enough to support the weight of a blackbird, and so they hop from pad to pad in search of the larvae that dwell on the undersides of the leaves. This is the first time I've seen these birds exhibiting this behavior, and its quite amazing to watch!