The evening meal

It has been too hot to be out in midday. Dusk is much more comfortable. This is the time for the evening meal. First observation. Robins lined up in the driveway. What's going on here? Into the tree. Oh my goodness. Berries. But these berries don't come into maturity for another month. Guess again. Climate is all screwed up.

Juvenile robin doing. fine. My neighbor can't see what I'm observing. Perfectly hidden.

Learning to pick a little. Please kid, don't eat the leaves. It's part of the learning process.

Other sibling still totally dependent on Papa.

This wood chip area is under trees. Very low light. Camera set at ISO 1000. Over at other end of space there's something going on. A picnic? Not sure what's going on. Will try to get closer.

Oh, jeez. Parent starling has found a food source, maybe a dropped sandwich, maybe food in a garbage can. Parent appears to have either sliced turkey or bread, or a bit of both. Baby starling is not interested. Cardinal is interested if parent starling would only drop the food.

I have never before seen a baby starling not interested in food no matter how weird the delivery. There's a second starling on a branch in the leaves and that fledgeling also doesn't want the food.

Parent starling calling for first fledgeling. The sound is identical to the voice of the baby starling. Parent making this hideous sound even with mouth filled with food. This is the first time I've heard adult starling make that sound.

More extraordinary, baby ignoring parent. I've never seen a baby starling ignore food.

Over at other end of garden, different robin family. One baby still dependent on parent. This kid able to pick around on the ground, almost adult size.

But not totally independent.

The mulberries are beginning to become mature. That's also early. When they become plump and juicy there's going to be a feeding frenzy downstairs.

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