Why oh why can't I ever get a posting right?! No matter how many days a
composed message sits in the 'holding pen' before launching, I ineveitably
think of something I forgot to add within 5 minutes after hitting the 'send'
button!

So, annoyed with myself, here's a post-script to the Piedras Blancas
hummingbird message of 96-02-25:

Have you ever seen a hummingbird actually fledge? i.e. *leave* the nest?
Completely undisturbed or nudged by me to do so, when the nest simply
becomes too crowded and I suppose unbearable for both nestlings, one of the
birds simply leaves -- straight up and out like a helicopter, and just flying
away like it had been doing it all it's life, albeit in kind of slow motion
the first time and for the first 20 or 30 feet or so. I thought this to be
most interesting since I have never seen hummingbird nestlings exercising
there wings while still in the nest. They just sit there doing nothing,
ever, ...then, just leave.

My apologies that I had to add yet another message to your email stack, when
I wished I'd thought of this the first time of the original posting.
--Richard

Richard Rowlett <pagodroma at aol.com>
Bellevue, WA, USA