First Bath for Baby Blue

Well, it's the day after fledging and Sammy is happily enjoying his outdoor aviary today.  I put him in it early in the afternoon and he seems very content.  His outdoor aviary is 6ft high, 6ft long and 4ft wide..wish I had asked my husband for a little bit bigger one, but it will work fine for Sammy.

Sammy, waiting to go outside

Sammy age 18-19 days old

He has horizontal and semi-vertical maple branches for perching, a feeding platform, a shallow bath lined with small stones so he can have steady footing, a bluebird nestbox with the side open in case he wants to take shelter, cedar branches for shelter and shade, a potted shrub and a plywood roof and sides in one upper corner for shelter from the elements and shade. The sides and roof of the aviary (other than the plywood corner shelter) are made of fibreglass window screening attached to wood framing.  It was set up on the lawn, about 15 feet from the garden that has the seed feeders in it, so he can get used to seeing the birds around him. My husband, Frank, did a wonderful job building Sammy's new temporary home!

Gaping is still an issue, as he is not doing it very often, but he is opening his beak a little more when I gently rub the side of it. He is still eating well and is a hungry little guy...must be due to all that flying!

I placed his bath on the grass in the aviary and he enjoyed his first bath today. He flew down to it all on his own and had a ball!  He fluttered and dunked himself over and over again, and did some very meticulous preening on one of his perches.

I can't whistle worth beans, so I had my husband whistle and recorded it on my Iphone so I could play it for Sammy to recognize me when I approach him.  I also call "Sammy Sammy Sammy".  Today, he listened intently to the whistle recording when I entered his aviary, and flew to me a couple times when he heard it.

Sammy is 18-19 days old today and as beautiful as ever.