My wife went to water a plant hanging outside the kitchen window last week and a bird flew out. When we looked closer we saw a nest in the pot and have kept an eye on it. A few days ago we saw the first hatchling.

Here the mother is sitting on the eggs.



The first hatchling is seen here with the four remaining eggs. [Edit] This actually appears to be a brown-headed cowbird hatchling. Thanks to baro-nite for pointing this out after noticing the bright red mouth. These parasitic birds lay one egg in the nest and they tend to hatch earlier. Fortunately the other hatchlings did seem to get enough food and not allow the cowbird to eat everything.



Mom returns with a nice big spider. (or maybe dad, we saw two birds flying in to feed them.)



Ready to fly out and look for more food.



Returns with a smaller bug.


Apparently they need a balanced diet since the bugs varied greatly.



Checking on the babies.



With all five eggs hatched the babies are always hungry. [Edit] Note the different color in the mouth of this new hatchling.



Which means little down time for mom.

[GvilleRick]

When I looked out this morning the birds were hiding in the bottom of the nest and then I saw something in the driveway. The mother wren was checking on another bird. When I looked closer it looked like a fledgling. I grabbed the camera and took a few shots. First two with a Tamron 90mm and the others with a Quantiray 70-300.

[baro-nite]

When I looked closer it looked like a fledgling.

Another good find! But a fledgling what?

[luftfluss]

Just watched the video... so precious.

[GvilleRick]

Another good find! But a fledgling what?

It's the first of the five wrens in the nest that fledged. This one hatched a little more than two days before the others so it is considerably larger than the rest which are still in the nest. Now I'm hoping the cat that roams the neighborhood doesn't come around.

[baro-nite]

It's the first of the five wrens in the nest that fledged.

I think it's a cowbird.

Edit: I'm quite sure -- the red gaping mouth in the earlier photos is indicative. It's lucky the other chicks are still alive.

[GvilleRick]

I think it's a cowbird.

Edit: I'm quite sure -- the red gaping mouth in the earlier photos is indicative. It's lucky the other chicks are still alive.

Thank you for the information. I've learned something today. Looks like you are right, wrens normally hatch within 24 hours of each other so this one hatching two days earlier fits the pattern and does have the bright red mouth typical of the species. The other hatchlings seem to be ok so I hope they will do even better now that the cowbird is out of the nest.

[Frogfish]

Great series .. looking forward to more !

[mickey]

Just read up on the cowbirds, quite fascinating.
Do you think the wrens flushed it out of the nest?
Wonder how it'll survive now?

[GvilleRick]

Just read up on the cowbirds, quite fascinating.
Do you think the wrens flushed it out of the nest?
Wonder how it'll survive now?

I think it was just ready to leave the nest. It is much bigger than the wrens and while it was not able to fly much when I saw it in the driveway I did not see it the rest of the day. I think it hid in some flowers for a while and should survive unless the wild cat in the area got to it.

[sakurasaku]

Thanks for this warmful series! And we all are looking forward to growing these kids.

[GvilleRick]

I suspect they all will be leaving the nest in the next day or so. They are beginning to look more like wrens with brown feathers appearing. Where earlier they would react to any noise or movement and pop up looking for food, now they hide in the nest when they hear a sound unless it is one of the parents.







I set up the camera on a tripod and used a wireless remote to get this close shot.



I got out the Sigma 170-500 to get a shot of the proud papa singing in a tree nearby.

[Frogfish]

Thanks for the update .. any idea of what became of the Cowbird fledgling ?

[tessfully]

This is a marvellous series! Just incredible and such a joy to view!!

[GvilleRick]

Thanks for the update .. any idea of what became of the Cowbird fledgling ?

I am not really sure. I believe that it may have used an area filled with lillies in our back yard as a hiding place for the first day or so. I did see the wrens flyong into that area so they may have been feeding him. Seeing the wrens left in the nest, it is pretty obvious now that the first bird was not a wren. I hope to see the wrens leave the nest but it may happen while we are gone (tomorrow afternoon until Saturday afternoon.)

[GvilleRick]

This is a marvellous series! Just incredible and such a joy to view!!

Thanks. It has certainly been fun to shoot even though I have had to use a different camera since my K5 is in the shop. I've been happy eith the K20 using the built in flash. We are actually hoping the wrens will reuse the nest later and start another brood.

If anyone is interested I have added several more videos and many more photos on my SmugMug site. Clicking on the video in the earlier post or any ir the photos will take you there.