Hooded oriole nests and other birds

Today, I discovered at least two hooded oriole nests at the lake.  I've been passing by this one all summer and watching the male be aggressive towards other birds, but never saw this nest until today.  The only reason why I saw it was because the almost-grown babies were so loud and boisterous.

While I was there, the mom came and fed the babies, but I don't see an opening.  It almost appears as if she fed them through the nest.  The opening is supposed to be at the top of the nest, but I didn't see her go near there.  This reminds me of a weaver bird nest.    I couldn't get a photo of mom feeding them.   I left and came back a little later and dad was in the area. He was only tolerant of me being there for a minute, then got upset, so I left.

I don't like to "park" myself at nests like I've seen some people do just to get a photo.  I try to only stay a short time, then leave.  I don't want to do anything that would draw attention to the nest and "parking" at a nest site, in plain view, puts the nestlings at risk of being noticed by predators.

Mama osprey was up on a branch watching the fish jumping around in the water.  There were some fishermen in a boat "pushing" the fish and causing them to come to the surface a little more.

I only see the mom hanging around, no sign of her mate.  The two babies had a bad fate.  One couldn't fly and is doing OK in a wildlife rehabilitation center.  The other had to be euthanized due to a severe fishing line injury.

Here's a photo of two of the three baby coots who seem to be getting along better nowadays.  The other one was in a different spot nearby.  I think that one is the youngest and still being fed by his parents.

On the other side of the lake, I met someone from Project Wildlife who was releasing a couple of ducklings back to the lake.  The first ducks, a regular-sized mallard looked around for a few minutes and took off quickly.  It got chased around by a coot a bit, but he quickly hid, only the sounds of his little feet paddling could be heard until he found a safe spot.  The second duck was a hybrid that looked a lot like Cinnamon!

Unfortunately, she kept following people around, so she was caught and taken back home and will be released at a farm, instead.  Though she and the other duckling were handled and treated the same way, she has too much domestic duck in her and would rather be with people.  This is a reminder not to dump domestic ducks in a wild area as they create these hybrids who have a slim chance of survival and a shortened lifespan.