Hungry RWBB and flying Flicker

Gotta feel sorry for this RWBB mom....she would bring food and still had 4 hungry mouths looking for more! (Actually the male brought food also). The Flicker must still have young in the nest in the tree, I just can't figure out what she was carrying OUT of the nest. Neither of these are really good shots, but I thought they were interesting. I laugh every time I look at that mouth on the blackbird! Please feel free to comment.
Karen

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Nice catch Karen. Looks like a dead baby bird she's carrying out. How did you get so close to the blackbird nest?

canonloader wrote in post #3229706
Nice catch Karen. Looks like a dead baby bird she's carrying out. How did you get so close to the blackbird nest?

BIG crop on the 400 lens...guess the nest was actually about 25' away or so??
You think that's a dead baby?? awww..hate to hear that. She/he is still going in and out of the nest so I would assume there are still young? I hope so. I keep hoping to see one.
Karen

It sure looks like it. I have one of those magnifier mice that expands the image without degrading. It's a little blurry, but looks like a baby, beak down. Not sure what else it could be. Too bad, but it happens.

Good to see you there today! Good shots!

Good shots Karen! The flicker is removing waste from the chicks in the hole I believe. They will remove one of these sacks a few times a day. It looks like you have a excellent opportunity from some sweet little flicker shots soon. If you would like to try and get a good flight shot of a parent leaving the tree? Try using a tripod and manual focus on the hole the then make slight focus adjustment after each attempt (remote switch helps). You have to focus on where the bird is going to be not where it is. I wish I could find one of these nest trees out in good light like this one. Good luck and have fun!

Wonderful shots Karen.. I've got one of those Magnifying mice.. Just doesn't quite look like a chick, it is so light in color. Maybe Zip is correct regarding the spring cleaning!

Thanks Zip-actually I had the tripod for this shot, but the hole is at the very top of a dead tree and maybe 60' away from where you can shoot from?? Allen might have an idea, but bet this hole is 80' up and 60 away. Just a guesstimate. This is a big crop. He did surprise me by popping out and flying so I probably moved the camera. I don't have a remote cord yet. Thanks for the tip on getting it in focus.
Karen

Thanks, Allen and Joayne and Mitch. Allen, I can't believe how close that nest looked through your 600 and 2x. Amazing!
Karen

Good captures Karen!

Nice shots...

It is in fact a "poop sac" the Flicker is carrying away. Imagine the accumulation in the nest if parent birds wouldn't do this?? I've got shots of Orioles and Kingbirds actually catching the waste as it is being pushed out (sorry for the visuals). The parent normally drops those quite far from the nest and in a different location every time to avoid giving out clues of the nest whereabouts to predators. Odd and gross but important behaviour.

Too late.

So now the question is, where do they get the sacks?

canonloader wrote in post #3231330
So now the question is, where do they get the sacks?

At the local grocery store.

Seriously though they come out pre-packaged as to not ooze through the nest. Sorry for another visual.

a Poop sack, huh???? Wow, left-over grocery bags, you think?? I'd much rather think it was that than a dead baby, no matter how gross. Besides, kinda like disposable diapers, isn't it!!!?
Karen