Fledging Friday

I have loved watching the flycatcher family who had a nest under our deck. The parents would tend the young every day. They watched over the nest.

And they caught flies to feed to the babies.

After about four and a half weeks of tending their nest, the Cordilleran Flycatcher babies in a nest under our deck took their maiden flights.

I happened to go outside midafternoon, and I saw two of the babies sitting on the edge of the nest tray. Another two babies can't be seen. They were in the nest behind these to forerunners.

One of the parents was waiting on the ground, knowing that the chicks would try to fly soon. In past years, the chicks have sometimes landed on the ground near where this parent was waiting.

It turned out that the first two babies didn't land on the ground. They went directly from their nest tray to some nearby pine trees. I spotted one of them.

Then, some ravens came into the area, and I went inside so I wouldn't possibly lead the ravens toward the baby. Ravens might kill and eat a baby bird if given the chance.

My impression was that all four baby flycatchers made it into the branches near our house. Some years, the family comes back to the nesting area once or twice during the summer. Other years, I've never seen them again. I hope that they all make it, and that perhaps one of the babies comes back to nest under our deck someday!

I love summertime!

I don't have many photos of R outside and playing but, rest assured, he's doing great!