Thursday, June 10, 2010

The new arrivals: redstart chicks

These are redstart hatchlings. They couldn't have hatched more than a couple of days ago. Their parents are busy making food runs so I took advantage of their absence to snap a photo. The redstarts built their nest on our deck, precariously perched under the porch roof. I hope I didn't blind them with the flash. Uh-oh.

I think there are three chicks in the nest. They're tiny; about an inch each.

Redstarts tried to nest here once before in 2006. The chicks disappeared mysteriously one night. They were nowhere near ready to fledge, so I suspect that some predator got them. We'll see how far these little guys make it.

10 comments:

  1. They are pretty newly hatched, it seems to me. Awesome photo. And what a perfectly constructed nest! Feel better soon!

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  2. Bertie would surely be interested
    in all this activity.

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  3. Poor little things, I hope they survive. They are so terribly vulnerable.
    If you bump into Nicole at Simon's birthday bash you could ask her to tell you the avenging blackbird story that occurred when she was tending our garden.

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  4. Wow..what a great picture! They are amazing. I really hope they survive to maturity and "fly the coop."

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  5. Do birds re-use their nests? There is a nest in the tree outside our apartment. It has been there for years, but I've never seen a bird anywhere near it, much less in it

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  6. Help! Someone mentioned (somewhere) a food called "brocante". The only brocante with which I'm familiar is a flea market. Anyone here have a clue?

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  7. vtt, if you saw them in real life, they'd be much less scary.

    cheryl, thanks!

    anon, I don't think he can climb up the column.

    jean, we shall see!

    diogenes, me too.

    starman, some birds do, but I'm not sure about redstarts. Some birds use the abandoned nests of others, too. And I've never heard of a food called brocante. Curious.

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  8. Hey Walt-- You're line - I hope I didn't blind them -
    TOTALLY cracked me up!!

    TGIF to you guys!!

    Luv,
    Leese

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  9. I hope they make it this time!

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