At 8:50 this morning the first nestling fledged. I didn't see it come tumbling out, I was watching the parents; one was in the water near the nest the other was at the river's edge and that was where my eyes were. I looked back towards the nest and saw the one parent, when moving through the water was another dipper. I looked back to the other and couldn't see it, so I thought it was the one by the river; they move so fast, I thought it had just snuck in. But as I was watching the other adult flew in, my heart raced, they were coming out of the nest.

The youngster made it to a safe, sheltered place and took a look around, after his parents I was the first thing he saw, and he wasn't frightened (if my mug was one of your first sights, you'd be scared s__tless). Mom had been singing all morning, trying to get them to come out and see the world. The second one came out right at 10:00. The second one is a real adventurist; it was in the water swimming and spashing around right away. The first was a little shy until its sibling showed, and that brought him out of hiding.

At 11:45 the mother started taking mouthfuls of moss into the nest, I would think to crowd out the other two. She would take in moss, and dad was taking in food, I think that upset her. She wanted them out, she gave him a scolding or two, but he still fed them.

12:02 the third one was out. the last one was a real slow poke, probably the last to hatch, it was out at 1:46.

At 5:44 both parents started to dismantle the inner cup, it took them 15 minutes. They carried out and just tossed out the materials. One picture of dad with a piece of phloem that I had photographed him taking in two months ago. One of the chicks tried to get back in, while they were taking it apart, but it wasn't home any more.

The kids have paired up two stayed near the nest; the other two have gotten themselves down about 30 feet from the nest. Those two really stressed me, the water is much faster and the terrain is quite rugged.

I watched them fly for the first time, longest flight about six feet. Saw them swimming under water in the shallow pool near the nest. They are pecking a stuff, sometimes it was actually a food source. I saw one of the parents chasing two of the fledglings out of the water soon after leaving the nest. One picture shows it with its foot on the back of the kid, as it pushed it to the shallow water. The parent did this rather violently, it happened three times.

The fledglings would come so close to me I would have to back away, so I could get my camera to focus on them. One got within three feet of me, and looked at me like I was suppose to feed it. They had no fear of me at all; they are new to the world and my calm presence was what was normal for them.

I only picked out a few pictures of the days action. I got there at 6:45 and left at 6:30 and it was the most thrilling day I have ever had. There was a little sunshine, some very heavy rain, but a great day for four new lives to enter the world. I can already see they have the true love of the river, so lets hope that man and nature's dark side leaves them alone.

http://e-picturebookdesigners.com/walks/fledge1/

Enjoy,

Don Wallace
Sequim
don at e-picturebookdesigners.com