Anyone who knows me is aware that I love birds. Last summer we had four or five sets of Eastern Bluebirds born in the birdhouse. This season we have already had a male and female move in and hatch their first eggs. I've been busy taking photos and keeping a close eye on their progress. The past couple of days I noticed the babies getting bolder and bolder and poking their heads out the door. I knew it wouldn't be long before they would leave the nest and had predicted that sometime this weekend they would fly away. Yesterday afternoon my parents came by for a visit and we were sitting outside just enjoying the evening when a neighbors cat came over and climbed up on our porch and up into one of the wicker chairs that just happened to be right under the bird house. Mama Bird and Papa Bird didn't take too kindly to that so they started chirping up a storm and tried to bombard the cat. Both birds were flying in the porch and trying their best to make the cat move. They panicked and alerted the babies that danger lurked and instructed them to leave the nest. I still had my camera set up on the tripod where I had been photographing them all day and went to take a few photos of the babies leaving the nest, all the while panicking myself because I just knew they were not quite yet ready to fly. The first two shot out of the birdhouse like a bullet from a gun. By that time I was hysterical but had the wherewithall to turn the camera to video mode so I got a video of the last two leaving the nest. The first 3 birds flew out but had trouble staying airborne, I'm not sure if they made it to safety or not as I lost track as they flew toward the trees. Baby number 4 must have been the weakest because he tried to fly but could not stay in the air. He went straight to the ground. I grabbed my camera and took a photo of him then we tried catching him. Mama and Papa bird were very angry and continued their chatter and swooping down on us and by this time a couple of Mockingbirds had joined in the chase. We caught the bird and placed it in a basket but it quickly jumped out. Caught it a second time and put it in one of my hanging flower baskets so the parents could get to it but as we walked away it jumped out again. Last time I saw it the baby was located under a neighbors motor home. I am certain the babies were not quite ready to fly, they tried and some may have gotten away but they were definitely another day or two away from being strong enough. I just hope all four survive and I hope the parents knew we were doing our best to help and didn't think we were trying to harm their babies. Hopefully the birdhouse will be used over and over again this summer and before long we have another set of babies living in it. We have baby Chickadees in another birdhouse but so far I have not seen them. I hear them when the parents return to the birdhouse to feed I can hear them singing away but so far no sightings. Below are some photos from yesterday.
Papa Bird bringing food to the babies
say AHHHHHH.....
Papa bird arrives to feed the babies
Mama Bird regurgitates something for the babies to eat
two little birdie heads peek out the door
One of the babies jumps out and flies away
baby number 4, he was so scared and couldn't fly well at all, I only hope he is safe and survives
