Empty Nest

Wow. I didn't realize that it had been over a week since I blogged. Many apologies to all two of my loyal readers.

It would appear that ALL birds love the dead yucca flower stalk just outside my front window. I'm not sure why, but I have gotten a ton of avian visitors that stop to take a rest.

Yesterday, an very interesting baby bird stopped by for a visit.

I had just started watching Project Runway and kept hearing this really annoying squawking outside my window. I got up to look and this is what I found.

I thought he was a baby sparrow or maybe a robin but I couldn't figure out the weird tail flapping thing that he kept doing. It was apparent that he couldn't fly and I was amazed that he managed to get himself onto the dead yucca stalk. I guess yesterday was leave the nest day and he obviously wasn't ready.

After watching him for a few seconds, I saw his mother swoop down to feed him and recognized that she was a blue jay. I know this photo is pretty fuzzy, but the action happened so fast this was the only shot I was able to get.

I continued to watch him for a bit and then decided that he might be video worthy.

After just a few minutes, it became too difficult for me to stand at the window and I missed him attempting to fly off the yucca. I looked a little while later and he was gone.

A couple of hours later, I could still hear him but he was no longer in site. Then I saw this tree rat on his hind legs looking very interested in something over by the yuccas.



I was afraid that he was going to hurt the baby bird, so I ventured out onto the front law to make sure that he was okay. That's when I heard more squawking on the neighbors lawn. Turns out he had at least two siblings. I know it's hard to see them. You'll just have to trust me. The other two really are there.

Mama Bird kept watch front the neighbors roof and periodically would fly off to gather some food. She never kept still and didn't come close enough for me to get any shots of her. She would swoop down, feed one of them and the fly right back up to the roof. Sometime yesterday evening, I saw all four of them on a wire in the neighbors backyard and felt relieved that they all made it. And then this morning, I thought I heard them squawking somewhere in that general direction. Awwwww.

Damn, I wish I could get my babies out of the nest that easily.

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Note to my readers:

I realize that it seems kinda scary, or maybe even a little pathetic, that I spent that much time interested in some baby birds (and even more time to blog about it) but, with being stuck in the house ALL THE F***ING TIME, this is one of the most exciting things I've seen in months. I know you're really jealous, but you'll just have to contain yourselves.

~Deb