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Featured Participant Story
The Tale of the Flycatcher FamilyAll Images and Story By Sue Edmiston and Cathy Cowan
07/13/09
Shortly after arriving at camp, Sue discovered a Cordilleran flycatcher nest underneath the cabin. She had noticed the adults calling and flying around in the area and watched until she found the nest. It was built in the far left corner (SE) of the cabin, under the cabin floor. She got in underneath and took a picture; in the camera’s LCD we saw 3 nestlings. We watched the parents come and go, feeding the nestlings.
07/16/09
Around 6 or 7 pm, Sue looked in at the nest to see if the nestlings were still there. Two of them jumped out of the nest and onto the ground. We all kept our distance from them. The parents were still feeding the one in the nest and were keeping an eye on the fledglings. Last we saw, the fledglings were hopping away in the grass with the parents actively calling them.
07/17/09
Throughout the day, we had been observing the parents trying to find out where they might have the 2 fledglings we saw fledge the night before. We were seeing them a lot in the area south and east of the cabin, staying fairly low in the trees. Finally, we found them. Not two, but THREE fledglings. We sat and watched them for a couple of hours. The fledglings were on a small, dead branch of a pine tree, about 2 feet off the ground. They were seated next to each other. At about 7:30pm the last nestling jumped out of the nest. We watched as the parents coaxed it away, in the direction of the other fledglings.
07/19/09
We had seen (and heard) the parents all day Saturday (07/18), but had not seen the fledglings. The parents were staying in the general area where we had seen the babies fledge, but couldn’t find the fledglings. We were keeping a respectful distance. On Sunday, around 1pm, we walked down to the general area where we’d seen the fledglings on the tree branch. The parents were still active and calling in the area. We watched for a while, then finally we saw 2 fledglings chasing one of the adults, chattering and begging for food…. WONDERFUL sight. We are still hearing the adults calling, often throughout the territory. The fledglings can fly now, at least 2 of them quite well. VERY COOL!