Watch Your Step
Robin Fledglings Under Foot
Yesterday a nest of robins fledged.

When they first leave the nest they are helpless, still completely dependent on their parents, and not smart enough to be afraid. This is the most dangerous time of their life and mortality is high.

The parents nudge them out of the nest and hide them in the tall grass or the brush. From there the fledglings are taught how to fly and find their own food. Then they're on their own.

This little robin is sitting in the path where we take our dog walks. I'm sure its parents want it better hidden than this. One parent is in a nearby tree squawking as I'm taking the picture. Junior doesn't seem to be upset at all. He wants to be fed.

I'm being very careful where I put my feet for the next few days.

Boring Field Shot?
We have many different species of Sparrows that we see around the bird feeder. This time of year they are nesting and most of them nest on the ground.

As I walk the dog walk paths in the field I see them flying up from their ground nests. It usually happens so quickly that I can't tell where they came from.

This morning I saw a Sparrow fly out of the clump of grass shown in the middle of this picture.

Surprise
After the dogs were back in the house, I grabbed the camera and headed back out to see if I could find the nest.

It's a tidy, neat little grass nest hidden in the center of the grass clump. There are two eggs, white with brownish-gold spots.

I don't know what kind of sparrow nest it is - yet. Hopefully I'll be able to get a good look at one of the parents soon.

The nest is right in the same area where I've spotted two different racer snakes. Racer snakes love eating bird eggs and hatchlings. It will be amazing if any of these eggs turn into adult birds.

Needless to say, I'll be watching this nest now that I know it's there.