I've had the little ones on the windowsill of my laundry room this afternoon. The window was open; that way the mama and papa warblers could sit on the telephone wire and keep on eye on the nest in the tree AND their little jailbirds.

I saw the parents hovering around, checking things out. Just as I walked over to feed them, Papa bird landed just outside the screen with a big fat grasshopper in his beak!

Immediately I removed the screen, but there have been no more special delivery attempts.

At least they tried! I wasn't sure they were all that concerned!

I wonder if they're going to slap me with a parental visitation lawsuit or something? Birdnapping maybe?



BTW, Donna's eating etiquette has greatly improved. She still gets it all over her beak, but at least some is making it down the throat. Her Princess attidude has lightened somewhat, too!

Maybe Bird Support?

I always thought that if you touched them, the parents would reject them. Is that true or was that some story one of my brothers told me to stop me from bring home baby animals?

I guess since Papa made an attempt, that is a good sign Twink.

That's not true. The myth started most likely because if the parents are in the nest when you try to put the chicks back in, they will attack your hand - they will peck anything that comes into the nest, and they may hit the chick.

Someone probably mistook that for the parents attacking the chicks.

Birds can not smell any better than humans can, so they will not smell it if we touch their babies any more than we'd smell it if somebody held our baby.

I've re-nested my share of sparrows, robins, black birds etc. Never had mom or dad pitch them back out lol.

I wouldn't try it with a blue jay without safety gear though.

Not my birdies, but funny, just the same!

Maxie and Donna got special delivery bugs today from Mama and Papa! Yummy!

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twinkie, you and everyone here has warmed my heart deeply and giving me high hopes for humanity....

to you all...

Can you believe I'm up before the sun this morning? *yawn* The things I do fer da birdies...Lol!

I think I've figured out why Maxie has "baby fluff" on her head. I thought it was immaturity, and that she'd lose it. Wrong! As long as she has a stronger sibling around, it will always be there. It's the "pecking order." She gets pecked!!!

Donna is aptly named. As the Prima Donna she actually "edges" Maxie around the lip of the bowl/nest so she has the better position. That puts Maxie further away from the window and less likely to get the first breakfast bug from Mom and Dad! She uses her body weight --kind of leans in with her shoulder and pushes --to get Maxie to keep moving further away.

So I decided to put them in separate nests this morning. Now they are beak to beak, but about 2" apart. Neither can fly, so Donna just sits there and scolds poor Maxie! Even their songs are different: Donna's is more an insistent "check!" while Maxie just pleads "pleeease, pleeease."

The amazing thing is that before I opened the window this morning, Donna was docile and I had to pick her up and reassure her before placing her on the edge of the bowl. It was Maxie that was "up and attem" and ready for breakfast! Once I threw open the sash, they did a complete role reversal!

I'm just hoping that breakfast shows up soon. Trying to let nature take its course as much as possible.

I now know what they are! They are not warblers after all! They are Western Kingbirds!

I emailed the head of the birding group for Utah, and he identified them.

At least I've been feeding them the right foods, as they are bug-eaters, not seed-eaters.

I could not believe the size of treats she brought yesterday! A big ole grasshopper (which got away as I was trying to assist with tweezers) and a giant dragonfly, which Donna was able to choke down. I swear those bugs are nearly big enough to swallow the birdies!

I must leave for work shortly, so it will be up to Mama Kingbird (Queenbird?) to take care of them. The window is open and I put a curtain rod down by their perches so she can easily reach them.

From Wikipedia:

The Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) is a large tyrant flycatcher.

Adults are grey-olive on the upperparts with a grey head and a dark line through the eyes; the underparts are light becoming light orange-yellow on the lower breast and belly. They have a long black tail with white outer feathers.

Their breeding habitat is open areas in western North America. They make a sturdy cup nest in a tree or shrub, sometimes on top of a pole or other man-made structure. The name kingbird is derived from their "take-charge" behavior. These birds aggressively defend their territory, even against much larger birds such as hawks.

These birds migrate in flocks to Florida and the Pacific coast of southern Mexico and Central America.

They wait on an open perch and fly out to catch insects in flight, sometimes hovering and then dropping to catch food on the ground. They also eat berries.

The song is a squeaky chatter. The call is a sharp loud whit.

WHAT!!!!????

I'm confused. Does this mean the parents now know for sure where their babies are and are coming to feed them??????

My brain done skipped a beat I think.

so ... update time ... how are the babies doing today????