Restless Pip? What is Violet Doing? A Scrum of House Finches Maul Their Father, and Spring's Mallards

NYU Washington Square Red-tails Hawk Cam, courtesy of
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/ask-about-pip-the-juvenile-hawk/#preview
Pip is very restless.

He can't seem to settle in.

.
Up. He appears to be trying to preen.


Stretch.

Down.

Up again. He moves to the other section of the nest. Is Violet preening him?














Up again.




Asleep.

There was a tremendous cacophony of chirping outside. I went to the glass door and a scrum of nearly fledged House Finches were mobbing their father.


That is, all but the one at the top, who had already figured out the self-feeding lesson and was quietly, from an aloof position, shelling and chewing the heart of sunflower seeds.

The rest are fixated on the male.






Dad has had enough and flies off. Resituating himself in few moments on another perch while he demonstrates sunflower seed eating technique.





After being screamed at in the face, Dad gives in and he feeds everyone, including the one who is perfectly capable of eating from the feeder himself.

Photograph by Paul R. Anderson

Photograph by Paul R. Anderson
It wouldn't be Spring without Mallard Ducklings.