bye-bye babies

The baby robins that we've been watching grow up (since they were nothing but a twinkle in daddy robin's eye!) are gone. The left the nest about a week ago (sadly, one died leaving the nest). The others stayed close to the house for a couple of days.

During that time they had very little fear of us, so we were able to observe them very closely. I haven't had the time to really search for them lately... but I hope they have escaped the many predators out here and have joined the feathered community that seems to congregate in the old tree down in the gully. Here is one of the babies, getting ready to leave the nest...

 

 And about a day later, here is one out of the nest... He wasn't flying very good at that time and got around mostly by hopping and fluttering to the lower branches of bushes and other low plants.

 

 One last picture... one of the babies, high in a tree. Looks like he's going to make it!