CyFair Kingbirds

.As you'll know if you follow this blog, one pair of the Western Kingbirds I've neen watching on the CyFair campus has fledged its chicks. The two young birds now hang out together, waiting for their parents to bring them food. No doubt they will soon be learning to catch their own prey.

The Kingbirds that have nested under the roof of the basketball court have now hatched their eggs. So far, I've only glimpsed one chick.

Last year this pair raised three young; in each of the previous six years they raised four. Given how frequently the adults are bringing food to the nest, I suspect they are again raising several chicks.

I've been trying to get a good photo of the adults carrying away fecal sacs but this is the best I've managed to date.

The normal pattern is for one adult to stay in a tree near the nest while the other parent goes looking for food. The flycatching bird returns to feed the young and then takes over guard duty while the other parent goes off to hunt. However, very occasionally both parents spend time together at the nest.

I'm looking forward to when chicks start to venture out of the nest to explore the roof beam and so become more visible. It shouldn't be long now!
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