Last night I saw this baby bird on the edge of my wheelbarrow. I thought it might be sick because it let me get close enough to take this picture, but we brought the cat inside and left it alone. A couple hours later it was gone.
Then this morning I saw a different bird doing the same thing on a hedge. I guess it’s the time of year when baby birds are learning to fly.
Anyway, since it’s been too hot for me to tackle the weeds in my garden, this will have to suffice for some garden blogging. Any birders know what this is? I’m thinking it’s a juvenile bluebird, but I know squat about birds.
Southern Beale 
Cute bird. This week I saw several dozen of what I could only presume to be mockingbird fledglings. Not much bigger than hummingbirds, flying and diving like little airplanes. I think I might have seen the return of the elusive gnatcatcher as well.
Maybe a barn swallow? http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_summers/5916277226/in/gallery-gavchap-72157627043653749/
Oh, a barn swallow … maybe. It didn’t have that swallow tail but maybe they grow those later?
Google has this feature now on image searches where you can drop a photo on the search box and it will find similar photos.
What you’ve got there is Dr. Markus Junker.
Huh. A junker? Is that an editorial comment or its scientific name?
🙂
Oh, a barn swallow. Not a European swallow….
“Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?”
“but we brought the cat inside and left it alone. A couple hours later it was gone.
Well, I hope that little fella flew off into the heavens, but then I gotta ask, you got all the cats in the neighborhood in your house?
I was reading a book on birding recently wherein the author states that he was told by an Audubon person that fully 50% of migratory birds do not survive the trip. Sounds like complete nonsense to me, but maybre someone else knows?
Demo:
Did you ever see that phenomenal documentary, “Winged Migration”? Really shows you how grueling the migratory trip is. Fascinating.
I don’t know if that statistic is correct. I do know that one of the biggest culprits decimating bird life in urban areas is power lines.
Southern Beale:
No, I have not seen “Winged Migration” but I did watch the movie about the emperor penguins in Antarctica. I’m always curious to see what the film crew must look like, living in the same hellish environment in which the subjects of their work do.
I’m always curious to see what the film crew must look like, living in the same hellish environment in which the subjects of their work do.
Ah, for that let me direct you to the wonderful 1971 film “Cry Of The Penguins” which is about that very topic.