The usual feeding pattern is for Papa to find a morsel of food.... worm, bug or berry...... and then decide which clamoring child to feed. This is tiring, but part of family raising responsibility. Papa always knows which child needs the food most. (Mama is sitting on next clutch of eggs.) I was drawn to this space by the call of the babies. It's very dark under these trees in the morning, wood chips on ground, baby robins blending right into the brown coloration. I couldn't even get a focus on the activity. So I set the camera on manual focus, a very high ISO and just tried my best, shooting even if I couldn't see. Didn't get too close for fear of scaring family.
Papa found bread and plunked bread chunk into alternating open mouths. The babies can't bite something off and need food placed down the gullet, but bit by bit this bread got nibbled away. Papa would jam bread in, then pull same out, like corking and uncorking a kid. Very easy for Papa. No running around the garden searching for tidbits. All-in-one meal. And the babies were wildly enthusiastic. Note size of Papa and size of babies.
This adult was preening by our little garden fountain. Total loveliness
It's hard being out in the steamy heat, sweat pouring into my eyes. The feeding behavior continues, screaming starlings in mulberry tree, baby robins scurrying around the ground calling for chow.________________________________________________
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