Feeding time… again

I have been blessed that a song sparrow built its nest outside my kitchen window in a pygmy date palm. I didn’t notice the nest until a few days ago. I have set up my camera with telephoto lens on the kitchen counter to capture the activity when I have time. I did find after the first two days of shooting that I needed to trim a few palm fronds to get a clear shot at the nest (Mom was not very happy that I was so close to her babies).

 

Only one is visible in this shot, but there are definitely two chicks in the nest. I have only seen their heads when they pop out of the nest to be fed. When mom is in the nest keeping them warm, there are times when I can’t see her at all, although most of the time her tail feathers stick out and occasionally, she pops up her head up just far enough to see her eyes scanning for potential signs of danger.

 

I have been surprised by how frequently she has fed her babies. Her babies are on a diet of small snails, worms, bugs and seeds. I have also learned she keeps a very tidy nest as I have seen her fly off with debris in her beak.

 

Done