Mother Nature is not chill. There is life and death drama every day. Sometimes it’s an eagle or a hawk dramatically pursuing prey. Sometimes it’s a Bewick’s Wren thrashing its next dinner to death. It’s all epic, all part of the rite of survival. #birds_matter #birds

A White-faced Ibis shows its true colors. #birds_matter #birds

There is lots of action at Tree Swallow nest boxes as they defend against unpaired swallows who would like to join the family and protect their boundaries against those whose territory may overlap. Who needs MMA when this is right at hand? #birds_matter #birds

Black Phoebes build nests of mud and straw, gathering construction material much as swallows do. If a nest site is successful, it may be revisited, updated, and reused for year after year. That was clearly the case with this nest, which was enormous, at least 15 inches tall. #birds_matter #birds

Family portraits of a happy Western Cattle Egret family - look closely at the first image to see there are three chicks. #birds_matter #birds

A last! A portrait of a Tricolored Blackbird. They fly in such big clouds, it can be challenging to photograph an individual. This successful forager has not only scored a beak full of goodies but has a spider on his head. I assume that will be a snack for later. #birds_matter #birds

A Gray Ghost - the male Northern Harrier - carries a fine meal back to his young family. He is the primary hunter/food provider while mom stays with her nestlings. #birds_matter #birds

A Bullock’s Oriole, here for the summer breeding season. Colorful as he is, he can still be hard to spot as he lingers among the leaves. I couldn’t decide which image I preferred. Do you have a favorite? #birds_matter #birds

A pair of Hooded Orioles, mated for the season, team up to make caring for their young a family affair. They have come to my part of the world for the breeding season. It’s so nice to have them! #birds_matter #birds

Mr. Wood Duck is looking very fine as he pursues a lovely lady. How can she say no? It’s getting late in the game to find that seasonal partner. Hurry it up, boy! #birds_matter #birds

A Forster’s Tern comes in for a landing, looking very fine in full breeding plumage. #birds_matter #birds

The little Killdeer family I’ve been watching is doing well! The chicks are very independent, but they still do like to spend time cuddled up under mama’s tummy. There are three but catching them all together out in the open near her just didn’t happen. #birds_matter #birds

A Great Horned Owl, deeply tucked into leafy branches for privacy and serenity. It glanced my way but I could see only its eyes. That was enough. When it comes to owls, the eyes tell the story. #birds_matter #birds

Ruddy Ducks put on a fine courtship display, showing off their bright blue beaks and fancy behinds and vigorously blowing bubbles. With all that testosterone in action it’s no surprise that there is an occasional kerfuffle. #birds_matter #birds

A Marsh Wren poses in a boldly obvious spot, singing out in defense of his territory. This time of year he is a very stalwart soldier. #birds_matter #birds

Mr. California Quail shakes it up to break up a long bout of sentinel duty. #birds_matter #birds

Rough-winged Swallows nest in burrows - usually those abandoned by other birds or small mammals. It was fascinating to watch a pair gathering grasses to make this year’s home more comfortable. #birds_matter #birds

For a group of Cliff Swallows, a small, messy roadside mudhole was the perfect spot to gather construction materials. #birds_matter #birds

Killdeer chicks are precocial - ready to forage on their own very soon after hatching. Amazing! #birds_matter #birds

Mrs. Acorn Woodpecker carries a meal back to nestlings that may or may not be her actual offspring. This species has a communal lifestyle. Everybody helps with the kids! #birds_matter #birds

Some birds are just building their nests. Others, like this Pied-billed Grebe, already have a family to feed. With four youngsters, she has a lot of work ahead! #birds_matter #birds

It was quite a Yellow-billed Magpie kerfuffle - sudden and so close I could only get one bird in the frame. It was over in a second. Still, a fine opportunity to see a different dimension of this marvelous character. #birds_matter #birds

A lady Tree Swallow collects construction material for this season’s nest. We know this is the female because only she builds the nest. Sometimes it is mama who knows best. #birds_matter #birds

Yellow-headed Blackbird breeding season is just getting started. Males are busy courting and a few ladies are starting to build their nests. Progress reports to come! #birds_matter #birds

A Black-necked Stilt circles its territory. Breeding season is here and the action is getting quite exciting. #birds_matter #birds

This lady American Avocet held her pose for several minutes - the equivalent of waving her panties in the air - but the guy just didn’t get it. Dolt. Hey fella, it’s breeding season! #birds_matter #birds

A very handsome Ring-necked Pheasant shows off his good looks. He’s usually more shy, but during breeding season he is happy to be noticed. #birds_matter #birds

A Bewick’s Wren has hunted down a fine meal to carry back to its nestlings. #birds_matter #birds

Mama Wood Duck leads her young family out into the big world, so fraught with danger. Not a perfect picture - just a scene that touched my heart. #birds_matter #birds

A female Spotted Sandpiper arrives, all decked-out for breeding season. She will aggressively seek out males, mate with several, and count on them to incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. You go, girl! #birds_matter #birds

This week I read a fun article asking, what recent event gave you a sense of happiness? For me the answer was realizing my birdhouse was occupied by a new family of Oak Titmice. That moment gave me such a sense of happiness. I hope you have also had such a happy moment. #birds_matter

Mom Pied-billed Grebe and her chick, who also loves to ride on her back. In fact, check out those puffed up feathers - I’m guessing there may be another little one hiding in there. #birds_matter #birds

Yes, Canada Geese are ordinary and so very everywhere, but when a new little gosling marches directly towards you it’s impossible not to raise a lens. #birds_matter

A young Red-tailed Hawk nails a rabbit that is simply too much for it to manage. With maturity it will learn to make better assessments. Meanwhile, it leaves behind a nice meal for a coyote or a vulture. #birds_matter #birds

An American Bittern in its hunting stance. It blends in so well, beak pointing up while it is actually looking down, the prey will eventually come to it. #birds_matter #birds

A Western Sandpiper takes a break from constant foraging to get in a bit of grooming. Good idea! #birds_matter #birds

The Augur Buzzard is actually more like a hawk. It is a raptor that hunts small mammals and reptiles. Football fans may want to know that Taima, the Seattle Seahawks’ live mascot since 2005, is actually an Augur Buzzard. Oops. #tanzania #birds_matter #birds

A Pygmy Falcon has an eye out for his next meal. Just eight inches long, he is Africa’s smallest raptor, but he is just as fierce as his larger cousins. #tanzania #birds_matter #birds

A flamboyance of Greater Flamingos get in a bit of grooming before a busy day of feeding begins. The morning light reveals and reflects their color in a way that makes it clear why flamingo flocks were given such a marvelous name. Flamboyance, indeed! #tanzania #birds_matter #birds

A Greater Kestrel flies in with purpose - a romantic rendezvous with his mate. They won’t bother building their own nest but will use some other bird’s abandoned stick nest. Mother Nature recycles, too! #tanzania #birds_matter #birds

The Vitillene Weaver is a master nest-builder, constructing up to 25 of these amazing structures each season. His prospective mate will inspect the work, and if it doesn’t meet her standards she may well rip it apart. No wonder he works so hard to get all the details right. #birds_matter #Tanzania

The bright red plumage of the tiny Southern Red Bishop punctuates the tall reeds of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area - but only during breeding season. The rest of the year he is plain and nondescript. He takes advantage of his glory days to mate with many females. #birds_matter #birds

Is it even permitted to leave Africa without having seen the Lilac-breasted Roller? Probably not. This eight-hued bird, called Kambu in Swahili, is marvelous. Best of all, the two sexes are nearly identical, each equally beautiful. #birds_matter #birds

Seeing a Kori Bustard in full courtship display was a highlight of my visit to Tanzania. Here are a couple of angles, plus a view of him when he’s not feeling the love. Serengeti National Park, 4.13.26 #Tanzania #birds_matter #birds

A Yellow-billed Oxpecker enjoys a dietary deviation. Typically these birds eat 100 or so engorged ticks they find on the backs of zebra, giraffes, buffalo and other animals. A few bees make for a nice change. #birds_matter #birds

This European Roller is finishing up a winter stay in Africa. He’ll be heading out on his 6,000 mile journey to breeding grounds in Europe and Asia very soon. #birds_matter #birds

A Black-chested Snake Eagle takes to wing on a misty morning in the Ngornogoro Wildlife Area. And yes, she does eat snakes, sometimes even consuming them whole while in flight. Impressive! #birds_matter

The tiny Straw-tailed Whydah performs an amazing courtship dance, but a nearby female was unimpressed. Better luck next time! #birds_matter #birds

A Marsh Owl on the hunt in the Ngorongoro Wildlife Area in Tanzania. #birds_matter #birds

Cordon Bleu isn’t just a chicken dish! It’s also a bird - the Blue-capped Cordon Bleu. Here she takes a rest from her busy nest building activity to permit a portrait. #Tanzania #birds_matter #birds