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Anyone seen this before?

14 years ago

One of the babies (male) from the second nesting is trying to learn how to hunt and feed himself. I had time to watch him today, and a couple of times he has flown to the ground, successfully "caught" a piece of grass, and flies back up to the tree to eat it. This is brown, dry grass. He has a really hard time getting that grass down. I have a good pair of binoculars so I can see it pretty clearly. Is it normal for them to try to eat grass? I'm assuming he's mistaking it for a worm or something.

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Comments (6)

Lexarose
14 years ago
Hi Kendra, maybe he's gonna be a vegetarian? Hopefully he's figured it out by now. Not really sure what he's trying to do.....
kendra2003
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the chuckle. I do worry a bit as the parent birds have already chased off their second clutch, and their third clutch isn't due to hatch until the 17th. Hope he figures out that grass it not as good as insects before he starves. Hopefully he's learning from his siblings.
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Lexarose
14 years ago
Well I saw it with my own eyes. I have a trap box right at my window that of course the hosp ignored and a bluebird couple chose it immediatly for their 2nd nesting. So I'm watching the babies being fed and low and behold a little boy from the 1st nesting is feeding the babies! In all my years hosting (7) I've never seen that, and what does he bring in to the babies? A blade of grass. I don't think it is any worse than a grasshopper leg or whatever else these babies are eating. I'm watching the parents bring gigantic bugs that are as big as the babies.
kendra2003
Original Author
14 years ago
Oh my, so you've now seen it too. It's really cool that a baby from your first nesting is attempting to feed the younger brood. But the poor babies have such a hard time chocking down grass. I've never seen the Blues bring large insects without first breaking them up, but I have seen some birds that do that. They've even been known to choke their own babies to death by shoving things that are much too big down their throats.
Lexarose
14 years ago
These are grasshoppers and big moths, then some smaller size bugs. The baby is bringing bugs now, the mom has been bringing clumps of honey suckle berries. Really alot of different things. I didn't know they could choke the babies, I pray they know what they're doing. Still don't understand the grass thing...
kendra2003
Original Author
14 years ago
That is really encouraging that the baby is now bringing bugs. It must have learned what is good and what is not. I don't understand the grass thing either. I'm guessing when they're inexperienced they think it is a worm or something.

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