willie wagtail family

Dad found a Willie Wagtail couple and their nest two weeks ago and we've been following their progress ever since. In that two-week period, amazingly, the eggs were laid, hatched and the babies fledged. I tried to get a photograph of each stage to share with you, if you'd like to see! Here's Mum on the nest...

 She was protecting three eggs...

Five days later they all had hatched with one or two feathers each! Can you see their tiny heads?

Three days after that they were growing bigger and more fluffy...

In three more days they were twice as big, turning black and almost spilling out over the nest...

All it took was another four days and they were all squished in the nest together, spilling over the sides, when the strongest little Wagtail fledged, leaving his two siblings the nest all to themselves.

His first flight was from the branch to the fence-post (about three metres). Look at him there all fluffy and cute!

Then he flew up to a branch and was soon joined by Mum (or Dad, I can't tell) under a heart-shaped leaf.

Photos: Heidi Adnum