Singing for their supper

I only have to step outside into the backyard to hear a chorus of bird songs every day. Our resident house sparrows are all raising families in the trees and in the two nesting boxes near the fence. One group of chicks is older and not long from trying their wings while another family of five are only recently hatched. Here an older chick checks out the big wide world while a duet of new babies call for their mom.

*the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game on Kathleen Ave. across from the Forest Service Nursery in Coeur d'Alene has nesting boxes for sale for just $5 each. They're intended for mountain bluebirds but don't tell my sparrows.