Once again, the Tufted Titmouse pair chose to nest in one of the Screech Owl houses on the property. An owl house is 50% larger than a standard songbird house ... and it lacks a wire grid mounted inside the house, under the door, to facilitate the nestlings getting from the nest cup to the door.
The photo highlights the size of the house. The Titmouse nestlings, nearing fledging age, scatter outside the nest cup during the day.
When fledging day did arrive, the nestlings went into a fledging frenzy. It's fairly common, after one nestling takes wing, to see the remaining nestlings get caught up in the excitement and head for the door. These five nestlings, however, appear to have been on steroids ... it was like a house full of Mexican jumping beans! The Hoppin' Titmice were flapping and jumping every which way. Their arrival at the nest box door seems to happen by pure luck ... but happen it did. In a span of 8 minutes, they hopped their way to freedom.
The feature video shows both an interior and exterior view of the frenzy. As I've said before, I admire the courage of these tiny birds as they perch in the doorway, trusting their wings to carry them as they take that first leap into adulthood. Mom and Dad were close by ... rounding everyone up after the fledge ... coaching the fledglings to quickly get off the ground and into the safety of nearby shrubs and trees.
I exhale ... five more nestlings are entirely out of my hands.
It wasn't a long exhale ... 8 more nestlings emerged from their egg shells this week. Who'd have guessed I'd have to add shotgun practice to my nest care-taking routine!
