We accomplished a lot last weekend, but it was hard to stay focused with all the birdwatching activity going on in the barn. It is hard to believe, but the cats have made no attempts to bat or lunge at either the nestlings or the adult birds when they fly into feed the little ones. They seem to be content to observe, and honestly become bored with the whole thing after about 10 minutes.
This brave little one made it out of the nest on Sunday to this perch about 15 feet away from the nest. Momma and Poppa joined him there for awhile.
But then began a huge effort to entice the remaining 3 baby birds from the nest. They tried scolding. When that didn't work they performed miraculous, airborn, acrobatic stunts in the middle of the barn, but that didn't work. They even tried to lure them to the barn door by chirping, quite loudly, from the sheep pen gate.
Despite their heroic efforts, these three little ones refused to budge.
Several hours later when we returned to the barn, the brave baby bird that left the nest earlier had flown back to its siblings. All 4 were back firmly ensconced in their now very little nest, and poor mama and papa were back to their frantic feeding schedule.
