"Our" song sparrow pair made a nest in a barberry bush about 4 feet off the ground and a few feet from our house. They laid 4 eggs. Three eggs hatched July 13. The young birds left the nest today or late yesterday, 10-11 days after hatching. (Erlich et al. says they usually fledge 9-12 days after hatching, so they are right on schedule.) The unhatched egg is still in the nest.

Now we have a bunch of short-tailed young song sparrows scampering around under the hedges while their nervous parents try to keep track of them. I was a little surprised that all three (apparently) flew on the same day. I can't really tell if all three are still alive, since I only see brief glimpses of individual youngsters.

Already, the Brewer's Blackbirds are forming large flocks that decorate the utility lines along the wheat fields.

Kelly Cassidy
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