Mind the Gap

Everyday for over a week I watched the fledgling try out its wings, look over the side of the nest and abruptly quit flapping, then run-hop to the safety of the back of the nest. It would also sit for hours at the front of the nest and beg for its parents. During this time, I never saw the adults fly in with prey or feed the chick. I did see the chick feeding itself, probably from prey brought in at night or when I wasn't there. On July 9th, the chick finally fledged and I became an empty nester for the second time in my life!