Babies, part 2

Has it only been 5 days since we last looked in the nest boxes? I guess so, but you couldn't tell it by how fast my babies grow.

Compare these photos to the baby bird pictures seen here:

Eastern Bluebirds, 5 days old, in the nest

and in hand.

Purple Martin chick, 11 days old

Compare the development of the above 11 day old Purple Martin with this 11 day old Tree Swallow:

Look at all those feathers! This box was full of fine white powder from the shafts of the pin feathers breaking open. Not so oogly now, eh sis?

nest box full of Tree Swallows

This will be the last time I can handle them. Tree Swallows fledge in 16 to 24 days, average about 20 days, which is similar to bluebirds (16 to 21 days) so I use the same rule of not opening the next box after the 12th day. Don't want to cause premature fledging, do we?

This guy wants to fly already!

Oh, and the "surprise" martin nest, the one with the mud dam nearly filling up the 6"x6" aluminum compartment? It has 2 eggs today. Woo-hoo!