out of the nest box

When young songbirds are grown enough to leave the nest, it may be an hours-long process for the parents and the young.

We've been watching the Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor for four days, thinking it would happen soon.

This afternoon the parents started flying at the nest box without any food items, teasing the young birds to come out of the nest.  Finally, they did.  It is amazing to see a creature take its first flight.

This little Tree Swallow is leaping out into air for the first time, nose down and spreading his wings with new strong feathers to fly with the big guys.  But he flopped to the ground, flapped his wings a few times, then took off again successfully.

Now, the parents will teach the young birds to hunt for insects on their own. We may see them flying together over the pond.

ready to fledge

The 3 nestling Tree Swallows are peeking out to get some air on this hot day.  They have inborn abilities to fly, which develop gradually as the young bodies grow.  By the time the parents coax the nestlings out, the young will have been exercising their wings within the boxes for days.  When they are physically ready for flight, the parents know and reduce their feeding trips into the box.  Instead, the parents may perch on the door and hold out a morsel for one nestling, teasing it to come out and try its wings.

The huge nest near the pond is still home to the Bald Eagle family.  The young are learning to fly, initially from branch to branch, until they can fly beyond the tree. Then their intensive hunting lessons start.  For now, they may return to the tree overnight.

Young Bald Eagles Haliaeetus leucocephalus do not display white feathers until they are a few years old. Meanwhile, they are mottled brown like this young one hatched this Spring.

Blackbird fledglings

Hiding in the reeds, unsure of what to do next, these three young Red-winged Blackbirds are waiting for instructions from a parent.  They fledged from their nest today, and flew a short distance. They hatched only 10 days ago (see post on 6/10/2020), then grew and developed to almost their adult size.  The mom will feed them and teach them to find food on their own for the next few weeks.  Seeds are most of their diet year-round, but for summer they will learn to hunt insects hiding among plants surrounding the pond.  Later, once each develops agile flight, they will catch flying insects mid-air.

bluebird - fledged first brood

We've been watching the bluebird nestbox for weeks as they brooded 5 eggs. The resulting 4 hatchlings are 17 days old. Today the parents coaxed the young birds, one at a time, to come out of the nestbox. Each in turn perched on the box opening with curiosity, watched and listened for danger, then flew bravely to the nearby maple tree.

Now we expect the adult pair to feed them for a few weeks while teaching them to hunt. Since bluebirds usually have two broods each season, we've outfitted the nestbox with a new improved camera.