My friend Sharon has a birdhouse hanging from a tree next to her house, where it had hung unoccupied for years, until this year, when a pair of Oak Titmouse used it for their nest. She invited me over today for a second photo shoot - and while we were sitting there, all five babies successfully fledged from the nest, in spite of two mishaps.
Sharon had opened a window in her house and taken the screen off, so we could watch the birds more covertly, than from the porch. She said the babies had been making a racket lately, and shaking the nest box from their jumping around inside.
First, their little heads starting showing up in the nest hole entrance.
First, their little heads starting showing up in the nest hole entrance.
Parents continued to bring food throughout the fledging, but at one point in the process, started to bring food to the hole and then leave without doing a feeding, as if to give the message, if you want this, you'll have to leave the nest to eat it.
They also called to the young birds persistently.
They also called to the young birds persistently.
Adult dropping food off, as babies come to the nest hole opening without parent having to enter in to feed them.
No more food until you leave the nest!
One of the oak titmouse babies very close to leaving the nest.
Here goes another one!
The two mishaps were, baby number 3 actually flew into Sharon's house through the open window, and, after a series of mis-adventures inside her living room (at one point it seemed like Sharon was just going to have to live with a baby bird on her ceiling fan), I was able to pick the baby up. However, when I brought the baby to the open window and opened my hand up for it to fly away, instead it had grabbed my thumb as if it was a branch and would not let go. We had to wait, with my hand outstretched and the baby perched on it, until the adult birds returned, and only then would the baby let go to join them in the tree, after they called back and forth to each other.
Baby number 4 didn't fly into the house, but did land on the porch and ended up behind the window screen that was sitting against the side of the house. After some encouragement, and help, the baby made its way to the porch railing and then into the tree to join the parents.
Babies 1,2, and 5 fledged flawlessly.
Baby number 4 didn't fly into the house, but did land on the porch and ended up behind the window screen that was sitting against the side of the house. After some encouragement, and help, the baby made its way to the porch railing and then into the tree to join the parents.
Babies 1,2, and 5 fledged flawlessly.
Sharon gets picture of my hand as a tree branch for baby # 3 with her camera!
Just fledged Oak Titmouse on the porch railing after successfully escaping the window screen
THANKS EVERYBODY, WE MADE IT!!!!