Baby bird update

If dogs age an average of 7 years for every 1 for humans, birds must age so fast they create a time warp. It's only been a week or so since I posted the last photos, and the baby mockingbirds are teenagers now. Check out the grumpy beaks and fixed eyes.

Mama mocker continues to warn me to keep my distance. She'll fly to the fence beside me and watch. When I move the branch aside to get a photo, she'll actually brush it with her feet, which are so little they dodn't leave a scratch, but make her displeasure clear. Here's a shot of her giving me the evil eye.

Baby bird update

And then there were four...

This weekend, we had two brand new baby birds and two eggs. As of today, all four babies have pecked their way through the shell and into the world. The two older ones are getting some fuzz, so all is progressing as Mother Nature intended.

The babies have a great mom - when I went to get updated photos, she let me know with a fly-by warning slap to the head that I was way too close to her babies. When I got closer for another shot, she flew about one foot from my hand and bravely landed on the tree limb to make her presence known. You have to respect a mom like that!

Stay tuned.

Baby birds

Around our house, climbing and rambling roses seem to be a favorite spot for birds to build a home for their spring families.

A mockingbird built this well-sheltered nest in the space between a rambler, the wooden fence and a vitex tree.

I was getting ready to weed the bed beneath the vitex when I saw a mockingbird fly from behind the tree. A closer look exposed the nest. I got as close as I could to see what was inside. I spotted a couple of eggs, so I fetched the camera. I had to pull a branch aside, point the camera blindly and hope it was in the right place.

When I looked at the photos, I was surprised to see two babies. Judging by the skin, I'm thinking they are brand-new. Like a proud aunt, I'll be tracking their progress.

Another bird has built a nest in the climbing rose on a trellis in the side yard, but it's too high to see what's inside. I'm thinking I might have to get the ladder out to satisfy my curiosity and see if we have more new birds.