House Wren Fledging Day

House Wrens in the Bluebird Box

I've been watching the House Wrens this spring as they selected the old bluebird box in my backyard and built their nest, brooded eggs, and feed nestlings. The noisy little bird is one of my favorites, even if the resident couple did chase away a timid bluebird pair who were also intent on the house.

House Wren Fledgling on the edge

Yesterday, I took this photo of a parent at the box. The little chicks go crazy when one of the parents brings a bug. Their little mouths fly open and they push and shove to get right in front. The parent tucks the bug in a gaping mouth faster than a speeding shutter, waits a second or two, accepts a fecal sac, and flies away to dump the diaper and get another tasty treat.
The babies have been edging closer and closer to the opening and this morning I saw one perched precipitously in the door of the box. He was looking this way and that. Gripping and fluttering from time to time as if to maintain his balance. Obviously, he was there long enough for me to get my camera and change to the long lens.

Hey! No pushing!

The parents would chatter at their nestling, seeming to urge him out. Dad seemed to say, "You're a big boy now, kiddo, no more free treats!" Eventually, the inevitable happened. One of his siblings bumped him from behind and he fell forward, clawing, gripping and flapping for dear life. He scrambled back in, but this only made Dad more demanding. "Chatter, chatter, chatter! Do you hear me? Chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter!"

Okay, I'm outta here.

So Junior came to his senses in about a minute and popped into the door hole again. This time he flexed his legs a few times and then . . . one, two, three, and out! He swoop, swooped and made a reasonably soft landing on the ground. Hey! He liked this flying thing. I watched as he chattered to anyone within listening distance and took short practice flights back and forth between low branches. He took off for the bird feeder! He went back to the box to tell his siblings it was okay to come out now.

As I've watched the birds this morning, I've also seen Mom and Dad cardinal with their four young. Yesterday, Mom and Dad were feeding them, but today they've discovered they can help themselves from the bird feeder too. There are several super-small chickadees too. More fledgling toddlers, I suppose. So cute.