In one of the nestboxes today, these three baby Tree Swallows wait for another meal. Two of them are 'gaping' -- opening their beaks to receive food items from the parents. The babies hatched out of their eggshells just seven days ago, weak and bare except for a bit of fuzz. In the week, they grew a layer of down feathers and some of the 'contour feathers' that will cover their body. In another week each will look fully feathered. But they also need to develop their strong wing feathers before they can fly. Tree Swallow young are usually ready to fledge out of the nest by the time they are three weeks old. (see 6/27 and 7/3)
