Fledglings

The shrike hatchlings have jumped the nest and are now flying around their cage units learning to hunt for themselves. Live mouse training begins one week after fledging and although none have managed to catch one for themselves yet they have been watching their parents closely for hunting and impaling techniques.

 We have 15 fledglings in total and the parents have already started nesting again. They have to be quick though because after the end of the week we have to separate the pairs if they haven't started laying, otherwise their second clutch young will be born too late in the season and won't gain enough weight and strength before the migration.

We have given a few tours recently. One to a group from the Carden nature festival, the Guelph Field Naturalist group and some friends of the site land owners.

Here's me showing off the mealworms.

Jess my Boss and Hazel the site Biologist.

Steph the Field Assistant

Viewing the captive shrikes through spotting scopes

 It's not long until we release the birds now. Some will be retained for the captive population but all are banded and health checked. More pictures of cute shrike fledglings coming soon.

The alvar at dusk