Grackle baby breakfast

Not a bird kiss, but breakfast of sunflower seeds... the parent grackle on the right feeds the baby whose wings are fluttering with anticipation. (This was a hard photo to catch because the grackles usually take off if they see me near the door, it's a tad blurry because I took it through a window in the kitchen.)

This whole spring/summer ritual is so funny - babies as big as their parents begging to be fed. The grackles have obviously just fledged and are one of the species of bird that will receive parental care for several days maybe even a couple of weeks following their leaving the nest.

Wikipedia calls these birds fledglings and says that some ducks leave the nest even before they can fly... cormorants being one species that do this. Amazing to me... however once on the water I imagine they are safer.

There is at least one grackle family that has made a nest nearby... plentiful seeds from the several feeders around. The babies call piteously to the parent for seeds and flutter their wings - as the house finch babies do. However the house finches, except for one, are now foraging for themselves though they still travel together in a group arriving and leaving together, cadging seeds and drinking water from the pond.

Speaking of the pond, I've placed some more flat rocks just under the water along the edge in a couple of spots so that the smaller birds can bathe. I noticed a red wing blackbird bathing the other day and a small sparrow jumped into water about an inch deep and had a little bath. The babies however, still hang onto the stones on the edge. One nearly fell in the other day, recovered itself quickly and I could almost hear the "Whew!" from its companions. Too funny.

As usual, the sun is out today and all seems right with my wee world... hope it is in your world as well and that you find something to have a belly laugh about. Enjoy!