For those who've been following the progress of the mockingbabies, we're sorry to report that they have all apparently been taken by predators as of this afternoon. While the nest was fine yesterday and feeding activity continued at high levels, today we discovered the nest is empty. The remains of one chick lay on the ground below, while the other two were nowhere to be seen, nor were their parents. Clearly, predators of some type, most likely hawks, were able to access the nest and take the young despite their parents' best efforts.
While nature lovers know that the circle of life is true and inevitable, it's still rather sad for us to see this nest that we've watched so closely end in failure. We hope the parents have lived to fly off and start again. As for us, My Florida Backyard seems strangely empty now, but we know that wildlife flourishes all around us and that there's plenty of life left to observe and love.
The mockingbabies are about 5 days old now, and while we wouldn't say they're all that much cuter, they're definitely bigger! As of this morning, their eyes are open and they have begun making faint "cheeping" noises in response to sounds. They are also beginning to develop pin feathers on their wings. Still, they're mostly beak and fuzz, and they spend their days eating and sleeping... just like most babies. Here's a picture of the mockingparents - they take turns on food duty and watch duty pretty much all day long.
Here are the latest baby photos, and a short video in which you can hear some of their "first words". Enjoy, and check back early next week for another mockingbaby update!
A few weeks ago, we noticed an exciting event taking place in My Florida Backyard. For the first time since we've lived here, a pair of birds have decided to nest on our property! They're Northern Mockingbirds, and they've built their nest in the honeysuckle right off the back porch, giving us a front row view to all the action. We've been documenting the action over the last couple of weeks, and this morning, we found the hatchlings have emerged! Here's the lead-up to today's blessed event:
And here are the three unbelievably ugly babies! They are obviously very newly-hatched, possibly just today. Their eyes are not yet open, and they aren't chirping yet. While their parents are out foraging for food, the chicks just lay limply in the nest awaiting the next meal, at which point their little heads shoot up and their beaks open wide...
And finally, let's go to the videotape! We made some chirping sounds like their parents might to see their response... do you think these little guys are hungry?
We'll be documenting their growth in the days ahead. Check back often for updates on the mockingbabies!
