Mother of the Year

I awoke to a drenching rain, not ideal for popping out and grabbing a quick blip! So, I donned my rain hat and an umbrella and zipped out to stand under the gazebo and see what I could see. Very happily, Mama Downy Woodpecker showed up to top off her worm treats with a little suet. She somehow managed to jam a gob of suet on top of the worm and beetle and high-tail it back to her nest. The woodpecker babies should be just about to fledge now and the poor parents are looking thin, worn out, and rather bleak. Once the chicks fledge, however, mom and dad will still feed them for 3-4 weeks.

Two other pics on Flickr -
Starling fledglings acting just like adult starings!
and
inquisitive catbird, giving me the eye

I'm off to the airport in a few minutes - hoping for an easy flight to Tampa and then a wonderful weekend with hubs, exploring St. Pete!

Thank you SO much for all the hearts, stars and lovely words on my twins yesterday. I'm so glad that you liked them as much as I did.

Happy Friday...

Debbi