Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) pair feeding five chicks video

This summer I've spent some time monitoring Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) nest because this is one of my favorite activities during the nesting season. Shrikes are extremely interesting birds and I wanted to try and get some footage of a shrike nest with hatchlings.

So I chose a nest with a suitable branch for the camera. To be honest, I was very skeptical and didn't expect any results from this experiment, but the result was much more than I expected. The camera was filming for two hours and for that time the parents brought more than 15 pieces of food - spiders, cicadas, grasshoppers, flies, and even two very long lizard tails.

I really hope that you'll find this video interesting and useful.

Does any of you have experience with nest monitoring ?

First nest of the season

 The weather here in Bulgaria has improved in the first days of April and the breeding season began with full speed. 

While some of our migrating birds are just arriving, others have already started incubating.

I usually try to monitor and ring nests near my hometown, but yesterday I couldn't resist looking for some nests in one of the parks here in Sofia. 

During my one-hour walk, I've found five active nests (3 Turdus merula and 2 Turdus philomelos). Most of them are very high in the trees since the park lacks any low-growing bushes.

Hopefully next week I'll be able to spend much more time searching and recording nests, but in general, I just hope for a successful season and many fledged young birds.

Turdus philomelos nest

Female Turdus merula