Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Update

Just made the rounds of the nests I try to keep track of. First - the three robin chicks which were crowding the nest almost to bursting yesterday, have all fledged. All I saw today was an empty nest. It took fourteen days.



The hummingbird is still busy feeding her one chick, and the other egg is still in the bottom of the nest.



Yesterday I was told there were only two red-tailed hawk chicks still in the nest, but I see three there today. Could one have taken its first trip, and returned? Could be. They are pretty big, as big as the mother really, and all have been peering over the edge and teetering back and forth. Here are the two with Mama.


There was no broadcast from the eagles' nest on Hornby Island. For the past couple of days the lens has been so fogged that you could barely see the birds.


There are still all three huge chicks in the Sidney nest. The biggest one is almost all black feathers now. The next is mottled. The third is still soft gray fluff, but also very, very large.


And lastly, in the little Delta nest, where the mother was sitting on only one egg which did hatch several days ago, the mother eagle is now feeding TWO chicks. No explanation given. I saw her feeding only one earlier on. My best guess is that someone has placed a foster chick in with her. That is often done if a baby is orphaned and zoo keepers or park rangers or someone cares enough to give it a try. In this case, mama seems to be very happy with her two chicks.
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If you haven't seen it already, Daryl just commented and gave me the url for a great little video - the rescue of 12 ducklings. Go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prRmQ-OldyE and see it for yourself. Thanks, Daryl!

4 comments:

Daryl said...

Did you see the piece on the news about the banker who helped a dozen baby ducklings join their mother on the sidewalk after they were too big to keep in the nest she made on the awning of the bldg his bank is in?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prRmQ-OldyE

Sylvia K said...

Thanks for the birdie update! And I have seen that video, it's great!

dianasfaria.com said...

I saw that Daryl, it was amazing!

Bobbie I thought of you this weekend when I was driving and my husband spotted two Canadian Geese with their fuzzy little chicks all walking about this concrete and grass triangle of land jutting out into traffic. Luckily it was fenced in but we said a prayer anyway.

Happily Retired Gal said...

I did enjoy all your birdie updates!
Hugs and blessings,