Baby Birds!

SQUEEEEE!

 

 

 

Good news everyone!
Today I spotted some brand new baby magpies, the first that I've seen so far this year!  Aren't they completely adorable? 

Fluffy too!

Really cute!

Yes, they are cute, magpie haters!  I'm not sure why we don't seem to appreciate these beautiful birds very much around here.  Visitors to Edmonton are often very impressed by them because of their lovely blue plumage, which is so bright in comparison to many of our other birds, who are so typically brown.  Also, magpies are one of the smartest animals in the world, they are even able to identify themselves in a reflection (which sadly, my girl cat has yet to understand).  
You can identify a baby magpie because they are not fledged, meaning they don't have fully grown tail feathers which permits them the full capacities of flight (which is where we get they term "full-fledged"!).  Unfortunately this leaves baby birdies on the ground vulnerable to predators, so keep your dog on a leash, and don't get too close yourself either (I used a zoom lens).

Here is a short video of the pair in the above right photo, just being cute:

 Other hatch-lings will be out and about soon, but for some other species the babies will be almost adult-sized before you see them.  Keep an eye on the skies!