Junco Babies Have Left the Nest

Well,an update on the little birds has been long overdue.So about a week ago,I had researched about when the birds would be leaving the nest,and found out that they have to "flege" first.(Hop around on the ground and flutter their wings while the parents feed them before leaving the nest).Oh boy!How were they supposed to do that at our back door?Anyways,one morning I was taking a picture of them,and ended up startling them.They hopped/half flew out of the nest everywhere!I was still in my nightgown,but no matter,I started trying to catch them right away.It was so hard,my mom and I searched in the grass for those babies for at least an hour.Finally we caught them all,but they wouldn't stay in the nest.So my mom went and got my old bird cage,and we put them in there while trying to figure out what to do.The parents had been fluttering around and trying to round up the babies the entire time.Poor parents.

My mom bent the wires of the cage on the top,hoping the parents would go in to feed them,and,after a long while,one did.She just flew in with the food,feed one,then flew back out.It took the other one longer,though.My mom said it was probably the dad.lol.Since the babies weren't quite ready to fly,for 3 days the parents feed them that way.Granted,a few times the babies flew out again,which ended up with us rounding them up.One of them flew over to this plastic container we have filled with water for the animals,perched on it,then flew a few inches over to the other side of the container,but failed at perching.I caught up with it just in time to kept it from drowning.Another time one of them flew on a tree branch,and I had to get a step-ladder,and bring it down.I felt sorry for doing that,it looked so happy sitting on the branch.That was probably the first one that left.

One by one,each of them flew out,until there was only one left.It seemed like this one may have been sick.It was probably the one that fell in the water.My mom and I went to go visit with family,and there was this thunderstorm.We had moved the cage under the porch more,but when we got home,it had died.I'm not sure if it died from fright,but it seemed likely.Either that or it was sickly.It was very sad :( I even prayed to see if it would come back to life,but it didn't.I was sad and talking to Jesus about that,with the bird in my hand,and then He showed me a picture of the bird in Heaven,saying I don't want to come back,why would I want to come back".So I just let it go.It reminded me of when my parakeet died two years ago.That little bird was like my best friend.

The other three birds are around here somewhere,I saw them yesterday.Still a bit wobbly on their toes,but flying.The parents continue to feed them.

This one is one of my favorite pictures :)



It's like it's saying "When you gonna let me out?"