Twink you are so good! I am very impressed with your dedication to the little chirpy. Maxie is very lucky!

Here is a pic of the nest on my porch with 3 eggs, now there are 4. No little ones yet!

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For several years I did artwork based on birds and birds' nests.

I just love them...they are works of art to me.

here is an example:
The background is really white, this is a poor photo.

You are going to have a great time watching those babies!

Please put the photos up... I'll be leaving soon on my summer break (no computer where I am going, no electricity etc), so
I'll check them when I get back.
(we have wifi but it is very iffy where we live, we have to drive 20+miles and it is down alot--we tried that with a laptop last summer).

That is a beautiful picture! I love it. I agree I think they are like artwork.

Hopefully they will hatch soon. I read that the incubation period is 12-16 days, which it has been 16 days now since I saw the first egg. Hopefully I can get a pic before you leave.

I learned this on the Eagle site...

Some birds stay off the nest when multiple eggs are there, so that they all hatch at the same time. So you might see a bit longer than 16 days, but not by much. That slows the first couple of eggs down a bit. The sparrows that I did, had one "runt", and he didn't survive when I let them go. We found him the next day, he was just too small and weak. I even gave him extra, but it didn't help. So you may see that in your nestlings growth too. Be prepared!

Good morning everyone! Maxie thought she was going to starve before I got her first bites of breakfast to her. She really is a drama queen!
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She is much stronger today and doesn't just passively allow me to put the food-loaded toothpick down into her beak. She actually extends her neck up to accommodate this procedure, as it needs to land at the back of her throat in order for her to swallow. Also, I don't have to coax her to open her beak. It just flies open when I get my hand anywhere near! I fear for my fingertips, thinking she may mistake them for a meal!!!

I know understand why the food the birdie mother jams down there doesn't just come right back out when Momma removes her beak: there are actually two delicate "prongs" in the bottom of baby's beak which point toward the throat. Kind of like a miniature version of those tire rippers that you encounter in certain parking lots. So once the food goes past that point, there's just no coming back!

I suppose I will have to take her to work with me today, as I didn't arrange for a "bird-sitter." She can sit by me at my desk. We'll get along fine, as long as she doesn't begin flying today! She still hasn't discovered her wings! Not sure if she's actually an injuried birdie, or if she just failed her first flying lesson.

I do hold her outside the front door several times a day to see if she can hear Mom or Dad. So far, no response.

Her box got messy and so I changed her to a cottage cheese container with a flannel dustcloth wadded up like a nest.

I tried soaking the Puppy dog food, but it is quite resistant to softening up sufficiently. So we are back to the raw hamburger, warmed by pouring warm water over the little bowl of it, then draining.

Must get us all ready to drive 20 miles to work. I will drop the 3 grandkids (one bro and sis, and one visiting cousin) at son's house for the day. They had a good time last night playing at the park and toasting marshmallows for s'mores.

I think I will buy a jar of meat baby food today and see how enthusastically that is received by my little feathered food fanatic.
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Okay, I took pictures with my cell phone. Who is willing to post them if I send them to you? I just am not set up for high-tech stuff like that.

Also, on the way back from the picture session little Maxie clung tight to my finger w/o any additional support from me. She even stretched her wings a bit. I reminded her she was going to have to learn to fly, but I guess she is not quite ready for that. Maybe tomorrow...

Thanks so much for posting your pics, ladies. Beautiful and amazing!

Tweet tweet! (Birdspeak for, "I hope you all have a great day!")

LMAO! You crack me up!

I don't know WHAT the heck happened at my house yesterday. No chirpies at all. I went onto the porch and wondered what in the world was laying all over it and it was nesting material flung here and there. The houses are up high hanging from some beams with no way to get to them (for a cat) that I know of, so I have no clue. Nesting stuff everywhere.

I'm just hoping they tried to fly away and made a mess while doing it?

Darn Ms. Twink! We must have pictures!!!!!
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Mrs. D, LOL at the bird excursion in your house!

Oops, didn't see your last post when I posted Twink.

If you haven't already had an offer, I messaged you my email addresses if you still want to send those pics.
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Have an awesome day.

Ooooh, Maxie is preening!
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Haven't seen her do that until now.

Isn't she absolutely gorgeous!!?? Thanks Twink!


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