Typically, I am a Citizen Scientist with Cornel Labs and one of the studies I take part in is “Nest Watch”. It is a fun thing to share with our South Texas birding guests, especially if they are staying with us during fledging season as our on site birding is out of this world.

We have had Green Parakeets nesting in our yard for several years and always eagerly await their appearance. This year we where able to ID the nest site and we kept close watch all Spring and Summer wondering how many, if any, baby parakeets would survive. On Thursday I was up very early in the morning and I noticed one baby parrot right off of our main patio. The parents where in the tree nearby making a lot of racket.

I had my camera nearby and took a few clicks and then went back to bed (insomnia, ugh) after telling my husband about the fledgling. I did not know, but he was so concerned about the bird being on the ground – granted he did look brandy-new and a bit unstable — that he gently got it on a perch and placed it high in the nook of the tree. He checked on the bird when he got home and was glad to see him still clinging there in the same spot then and again the next morning.

The following day, still struggling with insomnia, I woke *late* in the day and let our dog out and forgot her, until my husband came home. He walked in asking about the bird and I was, uncommonly less than helpful and he said that the poor parrot had two strikes against it, the dog was loose and the yard and been mowed. Needless to say he was not happy. The very next day, bright and early I saw the three parrots, ‘rents & fledging, flying out of the yard and the baby, well he looked just about perfect.

I’ll let the other Juves tell their own tales with pictures, too.

Yellow-Crested Night Heron

Doves

Grackles

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

I also got this birders view of the universal deep field … weird!