Late-season fledglings follow parents, begging all the way

A caption for this photo almost writes itself.

"Feed me momma!"

Two weeks ago we blogged about a late-season nest of Carolina wrens that had appeared outside the office window of Jennifer Roder here at the Visitor Center.

After nestlings fledge, they are not independent; they follow their parents learning the finer points of being a wren. AND they continue to beg for food. The parents generally comply at least for awhile, that's what parents do. Just because the young ones have left the home, doesn't mean they are able to survive on their own. In the case of humans, several recent studies revealed that many parents are still supplying some financial aid for their adult children well past the age of 25 years old.

With wrens, this period of dependency is generally significantly less. 


- Story by Stephen Lyn Bales. Photo be Jennifer Roder.

Here today; flown tomorrow

Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) nestlings

Oh, they do grow up fast!

Ijams education director Jennifer Roder was surprised to find this Carolina wren nest outside her office window at the nature center and had a perfect vantage point to watch the entire nesting process.

Surprised because it's so late in the season, so late in the season in fact, educator Emily Boves speculates that it was the third clutch for this pair of wrens. Raising one brood must be exhausting, but three?

Jen took the above photo on Saturday, July 23 and as she points out, the four nestlings are starting to get their "Big Boy" wing feathers.

Sure enough. Poof. Today they are gone. Fledged. Hasta la vista, baby. Off to wren college.

And their parents? Well, actually they are not quite finished. After they teach their new young ones how to be wrens—what to eat, where to find food, where to roost, what to be afraid of, how to communicate, etc. etc.—then they will take some time off. Or at least, that's what we think.

- Story by Stephen Lyn Bales. Photo by Jennifer Roder.