Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

fledging

One Second Fledge: Five Phoebes … One Second

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The Eastern Phoebe nestlings set a new record ... the One Second Fledge ... all five in just over one second.

The poor parent Phoebes had been trying to coax the nestlings out of the nest for days.  It was clear the youngsters were more than mature enough to leave, but they held on ... for days.  Then, on the morning of April 26, they were off -- all five, almost simultaneously.

This wasn't the usual fledge ... one at a time ... fluttering to the nearest shrub.  Oh, no ... these guys flew around the alcove where their nest was located before skillfully exiting stage left.

In the next post, I will reveal my newest "invention" -- a THEORETICALLY snake-proof nesting platform.  It's now in place and has been adopted by the Phoebe parents.  Snake test to follow -- about 100% likely.

Because I installed a new platform, I removed all of my prior platforms/snake detergents ... including the camera on which the Phoebes built the nest from which the five nestlings launched in April.  This provided an opportunity for detailed pictures (shown below) of the nest.

Funny how birds incorporate an assortment of materials into the construction.

Phoebe Nest: 5 Inches Across

Phoebe Nest Cup: Only 1/2 Inch Deep

Phoebe Nest: Mud, Moss & More Mud

Phoebe Nest: A Few of my Favorite Things

Fledging Frenzy: Ten Nestlings Become Fledglings

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Two Bluebird nestlings fledged on the evening of 25 April.  The next evening it was as if a fledging-bell rang — and the Bluebird, Phoebe and Wren nestlings were off to the races.  It was a Fledging Frenzy!  Ten nestlings took wing in a 2 1/2 hour timeframe.  Bluebirds Three through Five went first.    The runt went last and surprised me with the strongest flight of the five.  Then it was back and forth between watching the Phoebe nestlings hop out of the nest and explore their platform — while the Carolina Wren nestlings were taking in the great, wide world as they lined up in the opening of their nest box.

Particularly when you watch the Phoebes and Wrens, the challenge faced by new fledglings and their parents is striking.  Fledglings are wobbly little creatures!  Unfortunately I didn’t have a camera angle to capture it, but the Wren nestlings slid and tripped their way across my second-floor terrace until the parents signaled them to leap to the branches of a near-by tree.  At one point, the Pit-bull went to the window to try to figure out what we humans were watching.  Daddy Wren was there in an instant — warning the monster to back off.  Pretty cute.

It will be a couple weeks, typically, before the fledglings start showing up at the worm feeders.  Eagerly, I will be counting heads.

Let the Frenzy Begin!