Lesley the Bird Nerd

My beautiful buddy Blue preening and fixing his feathers after taking a bath. In the first photo, look closely at the base of his tail, just above the white feathers underneath. You'll notice a little pinkish-red spot. That's the uropygial gland, also known as the preen gland or oil gland.

During preening, birds rub their beaks over the uropygial gland to pick up a small amount of its oily secretion. They then work that oil through their feathers one feather at a time. This helps keep the feathers clean, flexible, and in good condition, while making them better at repelling water, trapping insulating air, and standing up to everyday wear and tear.

The oil may also contain compounds that help reduce the growth of bacteria and fungi on feathers. In some species, it can even help protect feathers from damage caused by sunlight.

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1 day ago | [YT] | 3,529

Lesley the Bird Nerd

I don't know about you, but I think that Frosty The Blue Jay sure looks cute with that one little feather sticking up. My Frosty boy has been a busy dad these days, making frequent trips back and forth to his and Cresty's nest to feed their little ones.

1 week ago | [YT] | 5,877

Lesley the Bird Nerd

Even when run ragged from keeping up with the demands of hungry nestlings, and with the molt slowly taking place, Speckle still manages to pull off being adorable. And, how about all those larvae in his beak in the other photos? Not to mention also feeding his hungry mate, Pip. Gosh, Speckle sure is one awesome chickadee.

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1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 3,884

Lesley the Bird Nerd

Aren't dreams strange sometimes?

A couple of nights ago I had one that has stayed with me because of how deeply I felt it.

In the dream, I was walking my usual trails, visiting the birds I know. One of the stops was where I've been seeing a pair of Dark-eyed Juncos who have come to trust me over the past several months. They now follow me through their territory and come out to greet me whenever they see me.

As I walked along, instead of it being a Junco, a White-crowned Sparrow came hopping straight toward me. It climbed into my arms, snuggled against me, and I gently hugged the little one. I remember telling it, "I love you so much."

The love I felt in that moment is difficult to describe. It was unlike anything I can remember experiencing in a dream before.

When I woke up, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Scientists still don't fully understand why we dream, but many researchers believe dreams help us process emotions, memories, and experiences. They can also be wonderfully strange, blending together people, places, and feelings in ways that don't always make logical sense.

I know everyone will have their own interpretation of a dream like this, and that's perfectly okay. I have my own.

This spring has been different for me. The birds I've come to know over the years, the ones many of you know by name, have become even more meaningful than they already were. And now, to my surprise, the juncos have joined that list.

Having those little juncos trust me enough to come looking for me has touched a part of my heart I didn't know was still there. I've started seeing them in a completely different light. They're intelligent, devoted to their mates and young, and full of personality.

The truth is, I simply love birds. To me, they're little earth angels.

Every day before I leave Blue, even though I know he has no idea what I'm saying, I softly tell him, "I love you, Blue." I've been doing that for about a year now. It probably sounds silly to some people, but I mean it. And it's not just Blue. I feel that same affection for all the birds that have become part of my life.

So when I think back on that dream, I don't see it as being about a White-crowned Sparrow, as strange as it is, especially given they only pass through here during migration, AND the fact I haven't laid eyes on one in 13 years!

I think it was simply my heart giving form to something that's become a very real part of my life...the joy of loving these remarkable little creatures, and, if only for a moment in a dream, feeling that love returned. Maybe that's why it has stayed with me.

For whatever reason, my dreaming mind chose a White-crowned Sparrow instead of a junco. And when I think about it, perhaps it's because every spring I find myself hoping to catch sight of one again. I haven't seen one since 2013, yet they've never really left my heart. Maybe my mind wove that longing together with the recent trust the juncos have shown me. Whatever the case, that little moment in my dream was tender and beautiful.

Thanks for reading! :)

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 4,579

Lesley the Bird Nerd

Black-capped Chickadees are gentle little birds, but when it comes to their young they will do everything in their power to protect them. On two separate occasions, years apart, I've watched male chickadees react dramatically to chipmunks near active nests. The birds would stiffen their posture, fan their tails, spread and flick their wings, sway back and forth, hiss, and repeatedly dive-bomb the intruder. Chipmunks are serious predators of eggs and nestlings, so this is obviously their way of defending their nest by driving the predator away. I haven't observed the behavior around squirrels, Blue Jays, or other animals, only chipmunks near active nests. That doesn't mean they don't or wouldn't do the same thing, I just haven't seen it.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 4,223

Lesley the Bird Nerd

For years, I've been trying to photograph this behavior, and until now I never managed to capture it in a way I was happy with.

What you're seeing here is a rarely witnessed interaction between a mated pair of Blue Jays. The male, Blue, is on the left, and his mate, Miss Pretty, is on the right. During the nesting season, usually when they have nestlings in the nest or shortly after the young have fledged, the male will sometimes crouch beside his mate and begin fanning and shivering his wings and tail feathers. The female responds by doing the same thing, sometimes gently touching her bill to his as they stand together.

The entire display lasts only about 15-20 seconds, and in all my years of observing Blue Jays, I've only witnessed it around a dozen times. I've seen Blue perform it with his longtime mate, Sweet Girl, years ago, and now with Miss Pretty. I've even seen another pair do it once. All of these interactions have taken place in the area they are nesting and while they have nestlings.

I've never found a definitive explanation for what it means. Perhaps it's a way of reinforcing their pair-bond. Maybe it's to show their appreciation toward their breeding success . Or maybe it's simply one of those private moments in the lives of wild birds that we're fortunate enough to occasionally witness.

What I do know is that every time I've seen it, it has felt special.

To make this capture even more unlikely, it was taken deep in the forest under heavy tree cover on a rainy, overcast day. When I checked my camera afterward and realized my shutter speed was only 1/50 of a second, my heart sank. I was convinced I hadn't gotten a usable photo. Most of the images were blurred beyond saving, but somehow a few turned out.

After years of hoping to capture this moment, I'm grateful one finally did. 🐦🩵

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 5,177

Lesley the Bird Nerd

One of Blue's fledglings not long after leaving the nest (June 18th).
This youngster is one of at least three, and most likely four, fledglings successfully raised by Blue and his mate, Miss Pretty, this year.

Since Blue lost Sweet Girl in May of 2023, raising a family hasn't been easy for him. Last year was a complete loss, so it's especially nice to see things work out better this season.

Miss Pretty became Blue's mate in April of 2025. Interestingly, she was previously paired with Blue's son, Sweet Blue. Blue Jays typically form long-term pair bonds and don't usually switch partners, making this a rather unusual situation. It's a story I haven't fully told yet, but perhaps I will someday.

Before separating in 2025, Sweet Blue and Miss Pretty were together for three breeding seasons and managed to successfully raise only one offspring. Last year, however, Sweet Blue and his new mate, Chloe, went on to fledge four healthy young.

Now it's Miss Pretty's turn. After several difficult years, she has finally become the mother of at least three, and likely four, young Blue Jays of her own.
I'm genuinely happy for both her and Blue.

In the first photo, the fledgling looks almost as though it's staring up at the sky. It was actually feeling sleepy. Young jays will sometimes sit with their heads tilted upward like this when they're resting.

The final photo shows the nest the youngsters came from. If you look closely, you'll notice a bluish string-like material woven into the outside. Blue Jays often add pale or light-colored materials to the exterior of their nests. Some researchers believe this may help camouflage the nest by breaking up its outline and making it less noticeable to predators. 🐦🩵

I go into that nest fact plus much more here https://youtu.be/AP-rrEFJTXM?si=scDIJ...

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1 week ago | [YT] | 2,780

Lesley the Bird Nerd

In 15 years of feeding and watching birds, I have never had Dark-eyed Juncos trust me the way some other species do.

Chickadees, nuthatches, White-throated Sparrows, Blue Jays, Canada Jays, crows, and even the occasional Hairy or Downy Woodpecker have long seen me as someone safe to be around. The juncos, however, always kept their distance.

That changed this past winter.
Since December, a few juncos have come flying in when they see me heading out to top up the feeders. Some would even hop around near my feet while I prepared their food. I assumed that once spring arrived, that would be the end of it. Instead, the opposite happened.

Now, as I make my rounds through the woods to visit my bird friends, a few individual Dark-eyed Juncos often appear. They'll hop around close to my feet or perch on a nearby branch, waiting and hoping for an easy meal, which I'm always happy to provide.

What amazes me most is that many of these encounters now happen well away from the feeder area. These birds have recognized and remembered me beyond the place where the food is offered. They seem to know me as the friendly lady who feeds birds.

So if you've ever wondered whether birds recognize the person who fills the feeders each day, my humble opinion is that they certainly seem to.
I've always found it moving when a wild bird chooses to trust me, but this feels especially meaningful.

For 15 years, Dark-eyed Juncos were one of the few regular visitors that never crossed that line. And that was fine by me, I never make it a point to force or even try at all to get a bird to trust me. It's always on their terms. To now have them greet me in the woods, come running for peanuts, and even carry food away to feed their young has been incredibly touching.

I truly love birds, and I'm beyond thrilled to add another species to my regular bird friend list. 🖤🩶🤍🩷

A video about Dark-eyed Juncos that I did with Badgerland birding https://youtu.be/u7ujX8rLSIo

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2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 4,735

Lesley the Bird Nerd

I have always adored Boreal Chickadees, but forming a connection with individuals like this little darling, Speckle, whom I named a few years ago, makes them just that much more special.

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 3,695

Lesley the Bird Nerd

Sweet Blue (Blue's son) taking a moment to reflect.

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 3,887