Lesley the Bird Nerd

A little behind-the-scenes look at a video I've been working on.

I think this may be one of the hardest videos I've ever had to put together. Not just because of the editing itself, but also because of the story I'm trying to tell and everything that came with it.

There are parts of this story that are beautiful, parts that are difficult, and some that I've really struggled with figuring out how to tell. I've gone back over the script, narration and editing more times than I can count, trying to put it all together in a way that feels right.

It's taking me much longer than I expected, but I'm still working away at it. This little chickadee father and his story mean a lot to me, and I really want to do it justice. 💙

12 hours ago | [YT] | 565

Lesley the Bird Nerd

Remember the Juncos I shared with you back in the spring? 🤎

The ones who began trusting me, chasing me down and coming out to see me as I walked through the woodland I frequent, knowing I might have some peanuts and seeds they could bring back to their little ones?

Well, this sweetie is one of those four Juncos (two pairs) and the only one who has regularly remained in my life. 🥰

Early this morning, it came to see me while I was standing there with my Blue Jay and chickadee buddies. I was able to give the little angel a couple of peanuts before it went on its way. It always fills my heart with joy when I see this sweet little soul.

I actually did get to see this juncos little ones which I've included in this collection🥰

Young Dark-eyed Juncos can look surprisingly different from their parents. When they first leave the nest, they're much browner and heavily streaked, particularly across the breast and belly, rather than having the cleaner grey-and-white appearance we associate with the adults. Newly fledged youngsters can also have that unmistakable baby-bird look around the bill. As they grow and begin replacing their juvenile feathers, they gradually start looking more like the Juncos we're familiar with.

It was such a wonderful experience getting to know these Juncos this year, earning their trust, and then having the privilege of seeing some of their youngsters, too. 🤎

If you'd like to learn more about Dark-eyed Juncos, you can check out this video I made a few years ago:https://youtu.be/u7ujX8rLSIo?si=mFU0K...

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1 day ago (edited) | [YT] | 2,848

Lesley the Bird Nerd

I had the pleasure of contributing some of my Blue jay footage to a wonderful new nature series called, Neighborhood Wild created by Quinn ‪@NeighbourhoodWild‬

I watched the full episode, 'Hibernation', today and genuinely enjoyed it from beginning to end. It’s fun, informative, creative, beautifully put together, and even had me learning a few new things along the way!

And, of course, I have to admit it was pretty neat seeing some familiar Blue Jays make an appearance 🩵

If you enjoy learning about wildlife and nature, I think many of you will really enjoy this one. Quinn has put an incredible amount of talent and creativity into it.

I hope you'll give Neighbourhood Wild a watch and show Quinn some support! 🐦🐻🌲

-Lesley 🐦

1 day ago | [YT] | 52

Lesley the Bird Nerd

My buddy Frosty has that fresh-haircut look now that his head feathers are nearly all back! And with them, his distinctive white markings on the front of his head (the ones that inspired his name) are shining again 🥰

In certain lighting, especially dimmer light, those markings really stand out. He's the only one of the jays I know and see regularly who has them so prominently. Most of the others have very little white in that area, if any at all.

It's one of those little individual differences that I've come to recognize him by. So pay attention to the jays visiting your garden, if you get a good enough look you might see an individual of your like that 🩵🤍🐦

A breakdown of how I can tell individual blue jays apart https://youtu.be/eKfK9Ak9MPM?si=1q2qw...

3 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 3,083

Lesley the Bird Nerd

I've been having a lot of fun with a new feeder setup lately, and it's been bringing me some pretty cute little moments!

One of Sweet Blue and Chloe's little ones even caught a glimpse of itself in the camera lens. 😊

I've been wondering about something and thought I'd ask you guys. Would you enjoy seeing some of these little everyday bird moments shared as videos here on my channel from time to time?

They'd be simpler videos in between the longer, narrated, story-driven and factual videos I normally make, just a chance to share some of the interesting, funny and sweet things I get to see around the feeders. 🩵

Thanks in advance for any feedback 🤍🐦

And as I mentioned a couple weeks ago I'm currently working on a longer narrated video about a chickadee I helped this spring. I'll post updates about that soon, too. 😊

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4 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 2,593

Lesley the Bird Nerd

My best bird buddy, Blue in the early morning light 🩵🐦
There was still more shadow than sunlight in the woods at that hour, but just for a moment the light found him. 😊

5 days ago | [YT] | 3,976

Lesley the Bird Nerd

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted anything here. Summer has a funny way of keeping you busy, and somehow disappearing far too quickly at the same time!

But I couldn’t resist sharing these adorable little faces with you today. 😊🐦

These are Gabby and Pumpkin’s youngsters, their second brood of Red-breasted nuthatches this year! Mom and Dad still have them under their wing, so to speak, although probably not for much longer. The little ones are growing up quickly and becoming more independent by the day.

And if you spot a rather scruffy-looking nuthatch among the photos, that’s Pumpkin, their hardworking dad. He may not be looking his finest at the moment, but I think we can cut him some slack. Raising two families in one summer will do that to a fellow! Gabby isn't in this collection of photos, I wasn't able to get a good capture of her today.

I hope you enjoy seeing this sweet little family as much as I do. 🧡💛

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1 week ago | [YT] | 4,177

Lesley the Bird Nerd

Every now and then, a bird story comes along that stays with me. This was one of those stories. 🐦🤍

It's been quite a while since I've put together one of my longer bird stories, but I've been working on this one for some time now. It unfolded over this past breeding season and became far more remarkable than I ever imagined when I first discovered that little chickadee nest in the old broken off birch.

I'm curious, would you like to follow along with me on a new and longer, story-driven video? 😊

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 3,354

Lesley the Bird Nerd

Blue’s New Look 😄

My buddy Blue, and his mate, Miss Pretty( 2 and 5) are right in the middle of their annual molt, and as you can see, they've temporarily misplaced most of their good looks. 😂

But I have to admit, I've always found Blue Jays rather endearing during this stage. They might not be their usual dashing selves, but there's something awkwardly cute about a bald Blue Jay! It's also neat getting to see how different their ears are, the opening behind their eyes. Birds don't have an external ear flap ( pinna) like we do. Instead, they have an opening on each side of the head that leads to the ear canal.

And don't worry, if you've been seeing Blue Jays or Northern Cardinals looking similar lately, there's most likely nothing wrong with them. Some individuals lose nearly all their head feathers at once during their annual molt, and before long they'll be looking like themselves again. Blue and Miss Pretty just has to endure his awkward phase first. 😄

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 2,817

Lesley the Bird Nerd

Blue’s New Look 😄

My buddy Blue, and his mate, Miss Pretty( 2 and 5) are right in the middle of their annual molt, and as you can see, they've temporarily misplaced most of their good looks. 😂

But I have to admit, I've always found Blue Jays rather endearing during this stage. They might not be their usual dashing selves, but there's something awkwardly cute about a bald Blue Jay! It's also neat getting to see how different their ears are, the opening behind their eyes. Birds don't have an external ear flap ( pinna) like we do. Instead, they have an opening on each side of the head that leads to the ear canal.

And don't worry, if you've been seeing Blue Jays or Northern Cardinals looking similar lately, there's most likely nothing wrong with them. Some individuals lose nearly all their head feathers at once during their annual molt, and before long they'll be looking like themselves again. Blue and Miss Pretty just has to endure his awkward phase first. 😄

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1 2 3 4 5

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 2,280