update on the bluejay family...

Can you find the nest?

Over the past several weeks, I have been fascinated by the changes taking place right outside my window... in Mr. and Mrs. Bluejay's nest!  :)  Daily I peek out and see Mom and Dad right there... sometimes just one of them, sometimes both of them.  The eggs hatched about three weeks ago, I think May the 1st.  You could tell because Mr. and Mrs. Bluejay don't stay in the nest any longer... but they frequently come back with their chins stuffed with food.  :)  It's neat to listen to the little birdies chirping.  I keep trying to get some good pictures of them... but it's really difficult as I'm taking the shots through my window and the tree branches often block a good shot... even though it's easy to see the birds.  Yesterday when I got home from school, I looked out the kitchen window and the little guys were STANDING on the side of the nest flapping their wings... as if they were about to jump out!  I grabbed my camera, a blanket, and my computer (so I could download the pictures as I took WAY too many!) and layed on the floor in my bathroom as the window there gives you a better view of the nest.  I was rather freaked out for the babies... a big cat was sitting at the bottom of the tree!  But they never did jump.  Today, when I came home for my lunch break... the nest was empty!!  There was no movement coming from it... and I could hear the little birdys but I couldn't see them anywhere.  Dad and Mom were flying around... at one point I thought I saw a little bird on the ground, but by the time I got closer, it wasn't there anymore.  It's really neat to watch Mr. and Mrs. Bluejay fly around and scream as if they're protecting the babies and giving them a chance to learn to fly.  Mr. Bluejay ruled my neighbors back yard.  They have like 6 cats... and there wasn't a trace of those cats!  I've heard bluejays can be fierce and don't hesitate to attack cats... or even humans!  Sometimes I think he'll fly at my window!  (I never just stand on the porch... remember... I am still afraid of birds!!)  Here are a few pictures I got... they aren't great... but I cropped the last two so you can kind of see the babies and Mrs. Bluejay in the branches above the nest.  (If you click on a picture it should enlarge!)  Hope you enjoy!!  I wish I could invite you over to look at the birds with me!  And I really hope I'll catch a shot or get to see one of the little babies flying around!!  :)

See Mrs. BlueJay in the branches above?  She's slightly lighter blue than Dad.  The back of her head has more grey in it than his.  

Here you can see the little babies standing on the edge ready to jump!  They were SO cute when they fluttered their little wings trying to fly away!  Their wings didn't look quite strong enough yesterday!  Their little chirps get louder every day!