Stretching and Preening Today

Sammy, the male Eastern Bluebird nestling giving me "the look"

At 14 to 15 days old, Sammy the male Eastern Bluebird nestling is still going strong and I'm no longer worried that he'll make it.  He's always very alert, eats and poops well. This willful, sweet little baby bluebird still does not gape for food, but he takes it very willingly.

He had some new moves today which were amazing to watch.  He is just the most beautiful, gentle little bird and he has unconditionally won my heart.

He stood up very tall and bent his dazzling, blue wings downwards in a giant stretch this morning. Standing very tall on one leg and stretching is another new move.  Sammy also has started to scratch both sides of his head and has been preening his tiny wing feathers near his body.

His wing flapping is continuing to progress, they were moderately strong this morning and by mid-afternoon it was very strong.

Here is a little Iphone video of Sammy, the Eastern Bluebird nestling, scratching, stretching and flapping his little wings really fast.  This video was made for my grand-daughter, Tenley, for her daily fix of Sammy, so excuse my "conversation" with her!

Of course, I've done a ton more reading on Eastern Bluebirds.  I tend to "over-research" anything I'm interested in, some people call it an obsession with me.  Anyway, I discovered that his song is partially instinctual and partially learned.  So, I started playing Eastern Bluebird songs and calls from my Merlin Bird ID app (from Cornell Lab of Ornithology) on my Iphone for him this afternoon.  His reaction was very cute and a bit sad.  He attentively listened to the songs and calls, but when I played the chattering/scolding sounds he hunkered down very low as if he was scared or trying to hide. These are the sounds his parent bluebirds would make to warn him of danger, if he had been lucky enough to still have parents.  Upon hearing this, Sammy and his sibling fledglings would have reacted this way, trying to be undectable.  I stopped playing that sound right away, as I didn't want him to be nervous or afraid.  Later that day and in the evening I played the songs and calls for him again, which don't seem to bother him, but I didn't play the chattering/scolding sounds.

Sammy, the Eastern Bluebird nestling, showing off his beaufiful blue wings

Sammy, today, at 14 to 15 days old