And They're Off

We knew it was time for the tiny wrens to fledge--take their first flight.  For the last two days the parents have taken to sitting outside the nest, holding bugs and chirping loudly.  I thought I had better get a last picture -- and as I stuck the camera in the box one of the tiny puffballs ducked under my hand and flew to a nearby tree.  Although it's a not the usual variety of "flying."  I've seen this before--I guess it's flying because it's airborne.  But I usually regard a bird flying as a sort of horizontal thing--head forward, tail behind, wings out to the side.  The first flight of a baby wren is more vertical--head up, tail down, beating the air with tiny wings.  Kind of the bird version of a dog paddle.

I felt bad for a moment, but both parents immediately flew to him, and he got his bug.  Within the next 15 minutes they had lured the other two out.

Good luck, little guys.