For the 4th year in a row, we have a second brood from our chickadees.
I thought they escaped yesterday, but I was wrong.

They're still in their box. Mom and Dad are working furiously to feed
them.

Observations:

The parents went from black sunflower seeds to almost exclusively suet
feeder when the babies were small. Makes sense.

Now we're getting ready to fly and the parents just today now are hitting
the black sunflower seeds again.

Last year i got a close up of first time chickadee flight. POP out of the
box, and hit the ground. Heads look like chickadees, bodies are just
puffy balls of brown.

Fly 3 yards. Clutch a branch. wait 10 minutes. Fly 6 yards. Clutch a
branch. Wait 5 minutes. Fly 10 yards. Wait 2 minutes. Fly 15 yards.
Wait2 minutes. Meanwhile the parents fly to and fro trying to feed
5 or so little explorers. Nutso.

By 3 hours, the kids are little puffballs flying through the air, but
they get where they're going.

We have a new killer kitty this year, who mostly attacks bees but
he gets to stay inside for the next few days.



Douglas F. Daily
ddaily at u.washington.edu
Physical Plant Business Office
Box 352215
Seattle WA 98195