Out of the nest

I blipped an image of an adult hoopoe that had built a nest in my garden on 4 Jan and hoped I'd be able to see the babies. Well today I had the privilege of seeing this baby hoopoe out of the nest and getting to know the outside world! I managed to get quite close - of course in my excitement I didn't have my tripod, but I spent a long time observing the little one exploring the surroundings and every so often the parent bringing it a worm or two to eat.
It was a wonderful experience - and although this pic is far from perfect, my time of just sitting quietly watching was special.