Steller's Fledgling

Day 248: All around me, new little people are discovering the world. From Merry (currently asleep in my lap after a large THIRD breakfast) to the baby juncoes and short-winged, short-tailed Grosbeaks I have to sidestep when I go outside, they are learning lessons, exploring, testing boundaries, curious about anything and everything they see. This Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is newly fledged. How can I tell? His colouration isn't well-developed for one thing, and his facial markings haven't come in yet, but more to the point, his gape (the fleshy "hinge" of his beak) is still pinkish. The pink or light-coloured gape exhibited by many young birds helps the parents find them in the dark confines of the nest. It turns dark within a few days of fledging.

Fledge Day

Day 256: For the last two hours, I have been sitting on the countertop with my feet in the kitchen sink watching a miracle happen. I fully expected the young Tree Swallows to fledge yesterday while I was gone, but they waited for me. This morning, I watched as each one of the SIX youngsters tumbled from the box and spread their wings in their first flight. SIX! But for rare exceptions, that is the maximum number of eggs Tachycineta bicolor lays in a clutch. I tried to capture the moment of fledging on video after the first four had launched themselves into a strange new world, but missed the crucial second as twice I fumbled for the record button on the camera while keeping my eyes on the bird in the doorway. More important to me was observing the moment of first flight. After the first three, I was surprised when a fourth head appeared in the opening, even more surprised when it vacated the house and a fifth little beak came into view. When the fifth one flew and a sixth appeared, I could hardly believe it. To the best of my knowledge, the previous record for the House of Chirp was four. The fledglings joined the parents in flight, returning to the doorway to offer chirps of encouragement to those still inside: "Look! I can do it! Flying is fun!" Of the lot, #4 was the most reluctant, taking a full half hour to decide to make the plunge. #5 was out the door ten minutes later, and #6 joined the family two minutes later. It's been a good day.

Almost Time

Day 253: Any day now, the little ones will fly the coop, and the House of Chirp will have served its purpose through another season. The parents are still delivering food directly to wide gapes, not yet trying to tempt the youngsters from the safety of the nest. This year's parents have been more protective than in years past, apparently seeing me as a threat, dive-bombing me so close that I have been struck by a wing in passing, and cursing swallow swear-words from the telephone line any time I'm in the yard. I applaud their diligence, however it might inconvenience me if I need something from the garage. In the twenty-plus years the House of Chirp has been used, only one chick failed to thrive. That's a pretty good record. So while we're on the subject of nestlings, let me say it: there is nothing...absolutely nothing!...cuter than baby birds.

Follower

Day 277: Let me say this: I enjoy having followers as much as the next person, but this is getting out of hand. Day before yesterday, I had just gone out the back door to take down the swallow houses when a friend showed up with a bag of fresh produce from a local organic grower. I stopped what I was doing to chat with her, and then when she left, I set the bag on the back step and went about my intended task. When I went back in the house, I grabbed the bag and stuffed it in the fridge and then stepped over  to the sink to wash my hands. Before I could turn on the water, a young Grosbeak landed in the window...on the INSIDE. As I wrapped my hands around the poor terrified thing, s/he took hold of my finger in a gentle, not painful bite (and trust me, Grosbeaks can bite hard with those big bills). I released the bird outdoors where it flew off immediately. How it got in is a mystery. I had not left the door open, nor had it flown out of the veggie bag. That leaves only two solutions: it was either on my head and I didn't notice, or it flew/walked in when I came back inside, following me as some of them do, knowing that I am the Bringer of Food.

I'm usually able to identify at least a few individuals among the youngsters each year based on how far their plumage has developed. As I picked my follower up to release him/her, I noticed a broader than usual yellow patch on the right wing and a few tufts of down on the top of the head. The yellow patch didn't register in my mind at first, so I was referring to the bird in the feminine based on the grey colouration. Later, I realized that this was a fledgling male whose colour was just beginning to develop.

Later that same day, I was heartened to see the same bird being fed by its mother. That behaviour told me that it was too young to have been one of the ones I've hand-fed, and therefore it couldn't have imprinted on me. However, an hour or so later, I found it sitting on the step, perhaps waiting for the door into another world to open again. I got down on my hands and knees to open the door, ready to make a grab if my new friend walked inside. I needn't have worried. The door squeaked in its frame and my Follower flew off.

I saw Follower many times yesterday, eating from spilled seed on the ground or tagging after a male who must be Daddy, begging to be fed. But when I went to fill the feeders in the late afternoon, there he was, perched on top of the heat pump housing beside the back door, looking longingly (or so I imagined) at the magic door to Bringer of Food's cozy nest. It's nice to feel appreciated.

There Is Absolutely Nothing...

Day 239: My friends have heard the phrase countless times, but I'm going to say it again: There is nothing...absolutely nothing!...cuter than baby birds. I had gone out to make another delivery of black-oil seed to the Porch Parrots and as I stepped slowly down the sidewalk, this little mosquito darted out from under the Hellebore with a parent right behind. The yellow gape told me he was barely fledged. The white tailfeather said, "I'm a Dark-eyed Junco." The streaks might have fooled me but for the presence of Mama and that glint of white. We engaged in social niceties for a few minutes even as the Parrots were getting testy (their young are now coming to the feeders with them) and then I shuffled cautiously forward. The little guy flew up, landed in the driveway where he was almost perfectly camouflaged against the rocks. I went back in the house via the kitchen and came out through the front door for the photo op. Then I wanted to be sure Freckles didn't head out toward the road, so I edged around until he flew to safety, first to the raspberries where he'd last seen mom and then into the protection of the contorted filbert. I'm sure mom was already in the thicket of trunks presently hidden by a full complement of leaves. Baby birds! Little Grosbeaks doing tremble-wingies, begging to be fed, a chorus of little bitty peeps and cheeps deep in the House of Chirp, and now a baby Junco. My life is so rich!

Down Among The Fuchsias

Day 292: It's baby bird season around here, so I shouldn't have been startled when something moved in under the leaves of one of my hardy fuchsias while I was photographing the flower. I'd just propped the stem up with the stick you see here, not thinking that I might be moving someone's parasol. A young female Black-Headed Grosbeak popped out from under the foliage and gave me an inquisitive look, not particularly disturbed by my presence or that of the scary camera. At first I thought it was an injured adult. Despite my best efforts to prevent window strikes, they still happen far more often than I like. However, the behaviour of this individual was that of a fledgling, and my suspicions were confirmed as she moved around and I could see that some of her feathers were still developing. Smart little girl, she'd found a hiding place to keep herself safe until she can fly strongly. We shared a few moments of eye-to-eye as I assured her I wasn't a threat. I'm confident that she'll be okay, although for a minute, I wondered if I was going to be nursing another Grosbeaky person back to health.

The Moment Of Fledging

Day 268: First let me say that my internet is not fixed, despite the fact that I'm back on. It seems to be a problem in the system and has been referred up the chain of command.

After watching the Tree Swallow parents bringing food to the door for some time, I had a feeling the babies were on the verge of fledging. What I did not expect was that I would be able to capture the moment when the first one took wing. It occurs at 0:4, so watch carefully...and then see the other two youngsters scramble for a view of their sibling in flight!

The House of Chirp is vacant now, and like many parents, I'm both happy and sad as I look at the empty doorway from the kitchen window. Safe travels, younglings! I'll see you next year.