Hi Linda A fledgling should completely shed its spots by the time it is 90 days old. I had one last year that completed the molt by the time she was 75 days. My birds hang around all winter and the adult male behaves just as yours does. He pecks at anyone, including the adult female, that dares try to eat before he is finished. Today is a sad day here. Papa has begun chasing the fledglings away prior to the start of this year's nesting season. He is guarding the nest box and the meal worm feeder and even a bowl of blueberries I put out for them. They apparently are hungry and every now and then one will sneak into the cage feeder where the meal worms are. Here is what happened when the adult female tried it a little while ago. Finally, she broke away with him pecking at her all the way out of the cage. As she flew up on the top of the feeder, he tried to get her again.. But the ironic thing is that in 2 or 3 weeks he will be bringing her meal worms. Hope you continue to feel stronger and have less pain. Dave

Mine are just like your first picture today. Still peeking out when i came in, How long do they do that before they go? I thought they'd be gone today, but there is still at least one in there, I had 5 (I think)I wish I had seen at least one go, but I didn't, and probablyby the time I get home tomorrow nite from work, they'll be gone. Do I take the nest out, same as Bluebirds?

Thanks everyone, We are so delighted to see so many fledglings up close everyday now. Here are just few more taken in recent days. This little one sits atop the nestbox (which contains 5 more eggs in Missy's 3rd nest), and calls to Mom who's perched on the spooker: This one is on the deck rail waiting for a spot to open up at the mealworm bowl: And for those of you who liked the "mad bluebird" shot, here's another wet fledgling up close: We're about 5 days away from the hatching of clutch #3, but we're still seeing all 8 of the fledges from the first two nests. oh joy, Kenn :)

Debbie 321 Ok debbie you made me go look up the definition of a SLR, didn't like it, Anyway there are two types of cameras: One is a point and shoot,they are small, limited in accessories, and you can not change the lens on them, though some will zoom out there quiet far and some you can get add on lens, generally a lens that screws on the end of the camera lens, generally enlarging the image to twice the size. They are cost effective and some are really good, I don't have one but have been thinking of getting a good cheap one to take landscape pictures. The other one an SLR, is a Single reflex Camera, that's the official definition, basically what you see through the viewfinder is what you get. The image comes through the lens and is bounced off a mirror, when you look through the view finder you actually see the mirror, and what you see is what you get. I've always consider an SLR as being a camera that you can take the lens off and put on another lens, but under the definition there are some point and shoot that could be consider an SLR. Most SLR's you can buy a bunch of accessories for them. The only thing about them though is they cost about 3-4 times the cost of a point and shoot. I hope that explain a little about what an SLR is. Let me add there are some remote controls that use the same technology as a TV remote, an IR light, which you can't see. You have to point the remote at the camera as you do a TV, They are ok for cameras when your looking at the front of camera, but are a waste of money if you've got the camera pointed out a window, and your behind the camera. Almost impossible to get that IR beam to reflect off of something and hit the camera sensor. That's something I learned the hard way, believe me I tried positioning mirrors in front of the camera, never could get it just right. Keith