Helicopter parents

 

For several days, a pair of Black-capped Chickadees have been making shrill back and forth calls between the maple and fig tree. We finally figured out they're the parents of a batch of clueless fledglings just out of the nest. It was a quick safely crash course before the kids head out into the big city and Mom and Dad get on with their lives.

 

Speaking of fledglings, that's Nova at the trailhead yesterday with her stash of avocados. She can easily eat one a day along with a bushel of salad, so that might be the biggest hardship out there on the coast. Four days on the trail with family of four requires a bunch of food, and everything has to be stuffed and carried in "bear cans." The secret is in the planning and rationing. They've done this many times.