Nesting season is not over

A California Towhee nest  Photo by J.J. Meyer

We may be well into summer, but there's still a lot going on in the avian world. The breeding season is still underway. Many songbirds have two to three broods, so many species are still nesting and raising their young. Mourning doves have a particularly prolonged breeding season with up to six broods per year. So it's not unusual to hear the mating coos of the male and see nesting doves through August. 

            American and lesser goldfinches—common backyard birds and year-round residents of Southern California—are some of the last species to breed. They generally wait until late summer when many plants have gone to seed and food is plentiful. They usually nest in the outlaying canyon areas near water, then return to urban birdfeeders with their babies.  

            You can help nesting birds by providing quality seed and suet fortified with calcium. Or you can provide a source of calcium by using your chicken eggshells from breakfast. Rinse well, then place them in the sun or in the oven for about 10 minutes. When they're dried out simply smash them into tiny pieces and scatter them for the birds. 

             

Happy birding! 

J.J.