Fledge Fest 2006

Well, the babies finally left the nest today! This morning, around 9am, they started coming out. Mom and Dad seemed to be coaxing them last night, but I think they blocked their escape since it was cool and drizzly. They seemed pretty anxious to get out, though. I am sitting outside right now at around 6pm and don't see any of them, but I am sure they are learning a lot as Sylvia and Lloyd show them the world.

My guess at the first fledge was correct: Hamish came out first, followed by Abe, I think. I am pretty confident that Schmiegal was the second to last to leave. All of the babies flew toward the back of our house. One went for the roof, I think, but got as high as the second story window where he clung to the screen, trying to figure out what the heck he was going to do next. Mom and Dad were flying all around trying to convince him to let go and head a little higher and even tried to bribe him with food. Another one actually landed on the wall and hung there on the brick and a third hit the wondow and tumbled down the side of the house into a mulch bed, thankfully. I was pretty worried, but he was stunend and then took off. One made it to the roof finally and was joinedd by a House Finch with nesting material in his mouth.

I just got buzzed by a couple Hummingbirds and I wonder if they were mating. They were the first I have seen so far. They were making an unusual noise that I have never heard coming from Hummingbirds. I thought there was a beetle in my Crepe Myrtle, but nope!

Okay, back to the Blues. So I was watching the little guy on the ground and trying to snag some pictures of him and the others, when one of the parents dive-bombed me! I was just outside the door and they flew right at me and then as I was ducking, they banked off to the right away from the house. I got the message and decided to hang up my camera for the day.

It's funny how they all followed right along after one another out of the house. I think even if a couple of them weren't completely ready, they didn't want to be left alone. Mom and Dad rewarded them with mealworms after they came out, which only seems fair. I hear them now calling to each other, mostly the parents talking to them. Lloyd and Sylvia are still feeding them, too and I am wondering if they are purposely leading them away from the mealworm buffet. Maybe they will teach them the hard way to hunt first and then show them the buffet once it's time to raise the next brood. We'll have to wait and see.....

I included a picture, but you will have to zoom to see it.