I am trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. I would love to put a mirror angled above the nest so that I could see the eggs (you can see the eggs in the egg rolling video). But, I feel that would just be rude.
I always have the most recent video here. After you watch it you can hit the reload button button on your browser and you should see the next ones. I only take new videos when it is light enough outside which is between 6am PST and 8pm PST. If you hit reload outside of those hours you will just be watching a rerun.
I am also looking at a lot of the videos, throwing the very boring ones out (she spends a lot of time sitting patiently on her nest) and putting some of the more interesting videos here.
As I go through and watch all of the videos, I put little notations in a log file that tells the basics of what was happening in the nest every minute of the day between 6 am and 8 pm.
I look at each 30 second video in a digest form which takes me about 3 seconds. Since I have about one video per minute, this means that it takes me 3 seconds per minute (or three minutes per hour). This means that it takes me less than an hour a day to keep up with the finch family. It is actually a bit more than that because if things look interesting enough in digest form, I will then watch the whole 30 second video to see if it should be on the web site.
four left Four left in nest. Practice flapping
excitement They get so exicted after seeing somebody fly
Last four feeding Dad feeds four for the last time
Only three Only three now, somebody snuck out!
Almost ready Almost ready!
Dad feeds three Dad feeds three
Chickens out! Almost does it - Chickens out!
Only Two for Mom. Mom feeds two!
Just you and me! Just you and me!
Small Family Feed The small family feed
Soon Soon
Yeah, tomorrow! Tomorrow were busting out of this joint!
Dad Hog Dad hogging
Today! Today's the day, I feel it!
Piquant! What is that piquant seasoning on this nest part?
Almost ready Looks ready to me!
A rest before leaving Last video before the last chick leaves.
I used to live here when I was little. A day after the last one left one of the kids comes by to check out the old nest!
Je Me Souviens Dad and Mom thinking back on family life!
You need to watch very closely the first seconds of the second chick's exit from the nest as the chick bravely takes the leap from the Snorks box to the open-beaked amazement of the siblings.
Unfortunately, the first chick left at a time when we were not capturing video.
flap flap
Five Chicks Now One less mouth to feed
flap flap
venturing Sporks and Back
sporks Sporks
sporks Sporks
sporks Sporks
sporks Sporks
Feeding Five Mom Brings some food, then Dad brings food
Still Feeding Five Still Feeding Five
flap flap
Still Five Still Five
Activity Lots of flapping and jumping about
flap flap
Still Five Still Five
So Ready So Ready
Hubbub Hubbub
Thinking Thinking about it
Leaving the nest The first few seconds shows a bird leaving
Who's Next? Down To Four - Who's Next?
Bad Snacks! Anything good to eat around here?
Mom Feeding Four Mom Feeding Four
Wing Flapping There is starting to be a lot of wing flapping!
F & F Feed and Flap
Fam Feed Family feeding
Dad Feed and Flap Dad Feed and Flap
Flapping Wing Practice
Flap for Mom Flap for mom!
Plenty of room Plenty of room
Pile of flappers Pile of flappers
All still here Still six chicks
Snorks Box to the rescue! First one leaves the nest! But comes right back
Lots of climbing! Jolly time in the nest!
Practice Lots of Practice Flying
Preening and Cleaning Cleaning time
Strolling Just going for a stroll around the nest. Don't mind me!
Everybody flap! Everybody's doing it!
Cleaning Lots of cleaning
Preening Chicks preening
Turn Around It's tough when you are turned the wrong way
Dessert What's for Dessert?
Nest life Life in the nest
Dad feeding Another feeding from Dad
Mom Teasing Mom teasing the chicks
Oh Boy, Oh Boy Anticipation
Warm day 90 degrees and I'm wearing my sister for a hat!
Beak Stuck Help, my beak got stuck in this crap!
Jostling Jostling shows good feather progress
Missed out Backwards at feeding time
Wing Practice Thinking about flying?
Dad feeds Six Still Six for Dad To Feed
Rearrangement Rearrangement
Feather work Feathers need a lot of work
Flapping Busy Nest, Flapping
More wing practice Wing practice
More Food Feeding time is the best
Even more crowded The nest is more crowded every day
Lots of flapping Wing practice!
More flapping Wing practice, preening
Six for supper! Still six for supper
Something interesting Something interesting!
Not much headroom Heads are up against the ceiling
Scratching A good scratch
She gets her head down and starts pushing around, so I can't always see what she is up to. Maybe cleaning the nest, maybe dealing with mites, maybe helping out the new feathers.
As the chicks grow, it seems like the nest shrinks. Eyes are open now and they are still enthusiastic feeders.
There are lots of new videos showing life around the nest.
Poop Removal Service Poop Removal Service
six No doubt about it! Six chicks!
Grooming Grooming help from Mom
Sleepy Time Sleepy time around the nest
Feeding Dad feeds the gang
Open mouth napping If I just sleep with my mouth open maybe somebody will feed me
Jostling Lots of jostling in the nest
Waiting Plenty of time to wait!
Adjustments Everybody needs to adjust their positions
Good Nest Manners I don't know if they poop inside the nest, but they are getting good at sticking their butts over the edge to do the deed.
Number Six is Missing! I know there are six chicks but one of them missed this feeding
Six again! Everybody is back for this meal
Typical Typical Nest Activity
Fire in the hole! Seems a little rude to me
All together now. Choir Practice?
Minding the kids Not as easy sitting on this nest as it used to be.
Togetherness It is nice when they take a nap on your chest.
What's happening here? Bad Dreams?
Crowd Surfing Crowd Surfing
Tending She spends a lot of time tending the chicks
Cleaning? Grooming? Lots of time devoted to this behavior
Afternoon Meal Big Family Supper
Still six Six good eaters
Feeding from behind Over the sholder feeding technique
Feathers Feathers!
Diaper Service? Dad helps out around the nest!
Dad seems to like this method. Over the sholder again.
Grooming Grooming
Legs and Beaks It's all legs and beaks!
Discontent Somebody in the pile doesn't look happy
Cleanliness Cleanliness
Feather work? Working on the feathers?
Showing dad the new Feathers! Great display of new feathers.
small nest! Do you remember when this nest seemed so big?
Dad is coming! Anticipation
What's happening? I don't know what is going on here
I think all six eggs hatched. I think in some of the highlight videos that I can count up to six beaks.
If you watch the highlights, you might figure out how they keep their nest from filling up with chick excrement. It is less appetizing than watching them regurgitate into each other's mouths.
Me too Dad feeds everybody but Mom. She wants some too!
At last. At last mom gets some.
Family Lunch Lunch for the family
Dad with Dinner Dad brings Dinner
Mom feeding Mom feeds the brood
Please Please! Mom! I am Hungry
Yay Mom! Mom Feeds Again
Dad to the rescue Dad to the rescue when Mom runs out
Poop Removal Mom eats some tidbit that the kid poops out.
What about Me? I guess it is not mother's day
Dad feeding Dad feeds the kids
Too much pushing Lots of pushing, not much feeding
One on One A little one on one time.
Quality time Quality time
Stretch Stretch for your Supper.
Come home chorus Mom - come home
Count the Chicks! I think there are six chicks.
Is it lunchtime yet! Not yet.
All up for lunch! I count six
Some surprising food Is that bird poop? Tasty though!
So big They are getting so big
Family One big happy family
Fuzzballs Balls of fuzz in the nest
Everybody gets some Sharing the wealth
Scrum Looks like a rugby scrum in there
Heads or Tails Ma! You are sitting on me!
Steady pressure A little steady pressure will quiet them
Dad feeding Nice Feeeding
Golden Light Golden Light
Something for everyone Mom has something for everyone
Doody Duty Dad is on the poop removal squad
Dinnertime Dad brings dinner
The dad is really "Birding up". He comes by a few times an hour now. Sometimes he feeds Mom and she then feeds the kids, but lately he has started feeding the chicks directly.
Now the mom actually leaves the nest for over twenty minutes and usually dad comes by during that time to check up (and maybe provide a nourishing meal).
It looks like the chicks are growing rapidly. Just a few days ago I could hardly see their heads when they were being fed. Now I can see them clearly.
I took a look with a hand mirror to try and get a peek at the chicks while the parents were out. They were just one big grey ball of fuzz.
Shell Removal Removes shell from nest (only watch beginning)
Good Calcium there Eating egg shell
Family Meal Family meals are the best
Eating together Togetherness
When Mom's Away Dad feeds the kids
Chick Eating A good look at one of the chicks
Dad brings dinner 6:17pm This is happening more and more.
Everybody gets some 6:18pm Dad feeding the chicks
Long dinner time 6:19pm This feeding lasted four minutes.
Don't leave dad out 10:07am Mom is feeding the chicks when Dad shows up to make it a full family experience!
Fuzzy head You can see the chick's fuzzy head
Dad feeding on his own Feasting with Dad
There is at least one and they are pretty deep in the nest still, so we can seldom see much of them. There was a whole lot of feeding this morning and she was paying a lot of attention inside the nest. I thought at first that she was just turning the eggs since she has been doing a lot of that lately.
But then I noticed a video where she was carrying a part of a broken egg shell out of the nest. So I went back and looked closer. I see that in one video the dad actually feeds a chick after feeding mom.
So, lots of highlights this morning.
Long Feeding Very long slow feeding
Long Feeding Very long slow feeding
He feeds the chicks!? I think he is feeding chicks!
More food Feeding mom again
Tending something Tending Chicks? Eggs?
Start of 4 minute feeding start of another very long feeding - about 4 minutes
more tending Tending something
I see a little bit of chick Chick Feeding with a little bit of visible chick
more chick feeding Chick Feeding
Chatting! He comes by with lots to say.
Chick Feeding Chick Feeding?
Shell removal Taking a half shell from the nest
shell eating Eating some shell
3 minute feeding - part 1 another long slow feeding 3 minutes
3 minute feeding - part 2 another long slow feeding
3 minute feeding - part 3 another long slow feeding
Visible chick feeding Chick is visible at end of chick feeding
Spot the chick Chick is visible at end of chick feeding
still unhatched egg Even with the chicks there still at least one unhatched egg
Visiting the nest Atticus comes by when she is gone.
Nothing like a good chat Feeding and chatting.
wing Beating Lots of wing flapping while eating - settling
Why does she do that? good egg roll
Evening food Good feeding in poor light
A little together time sometimes he comes by and they fly off together.
Watching the egg roll Atticus comes by to watch egg rolling, then they chat
Talking after breakfast Early morning eat and greet
more feeding feeding
More egg rolling Atticus watches egg rolling with singing
Singing singing
Just stopping by stopping by to say hi to the eggs
food good feeding
food food
beak smacking right after a feeding - lots of beak smacking
Homecoming Returning back to the nest. She goes off for about 5 to 10 minutes each hour. This time Atticus comes back with her
Prolonged Feeding Atticus delivers a long lunch.
Visible Eggs Eggs show up while she is rollling them about.
Standing By Eggs show up in the nest while she is standing next to it.
Lunch Feeding Atticus is back for lunch feeding.
Another Feeding Early morning breakfast.
Spot the Egg Lots of egg shuffling.
Breakfast In Bed Her significant other comes by and feeds her while she just relaxes in the nest!
Leaving Home for a little flyabout. If we open our back door, she gets a bit upset, goes out the back way from her nest and comes back after we shut the door.
Coming Home after a little flyabout.
afterEating After she ate a snack.
just breathing Just hanging out.
Working in the Nest Eggs?