Newbird Clamor

The voices of the nestling housewrens are much louder today than yesterday, just days before first fledge. Now they cry even while parents are out foraging for their food, not just when they bring it to the nest. I missed the moment of take-off with the last family by a few hours---and hereby resolve to be here to see it for these little ones---to see how big they are, to count them, and to thrill with them over that first astonishing flight. Both prior families fledged mid-morning, so will try to spend my next few mornings here. Retirement is good.

We are a few days away, I think, because the parents are still entering the house when they bring food. On the last day before the fledge, I've observed for both nuthatches and housewrens, the parents only come to the door, where they are met by hungry mouths. It may be as much a matter of no-more-room-in-the-nest as that of assertive-babies-competing-at-the-door-for-receipt-of-delivery. Whichever, it is a fair predictor of the immanence of the first flight. dkm