I’d been keeping my eye on the nest.

It had shrunk and withered since last spring, but it was still there. I’d noticed hummingbirds back in the neighborhood, and hadn’t seen any live action on the porch… but it looked a little different.

Frances laid her first egg of the year on 3/5/2020!

I’ll let the photos and video do the talking on this post. It’s so fun and interesting to watch her do what she does.

Frances laid two eggs, two days apart. It’s amazing to know that birds can hold off incubation until the entire clutch is ready to cook - then they hatch together. If all goes well, we should meet these little chicks in 15 – 18 days.

Sunday, March 22nd marked 17 days gestation for the first egg in Frances’ nest.

3/22/2020 also marked the day I’d been scheduled to head out to the Sou’wester Historic Lodge with my friend Eriko for a few days of wreath supply foraging and creative juice flow. Daughter was supposed to be in Hawaii for Spring Break, and the Boys were headed to Arizona the next day to visit the grandparents.

Well, we’re off and running with the girls! Frances spent most of her time on the nest today, except for a few quick trips for food. She mostly spent her day sitting with these little darlings and keeping them warm.

While the girls are still teeny-tiny, their natural instincts are sure turning on quickly. They stay snuggled close together to say warm, and pop their little heads right up with Mama shows up with a snack.

The girls are already starting to look a little less like caterpillars and more like birds…. maybe. Their beaks have grown a little longer, and they are moving around more in the nest.

The sun was shining in the nest again today, and the chicks loved soaking it up. Their little feathers are getting fuzzier, and they are getting big enough to hoist their little buns up to the edge of the nest to poop! Who knew?!

Wow - they seem quite a bit bigger today! Their little wing buds are super cute, and their “butt cannons” (as named by one of my 4-year-old viewers) are quite impressive.

Eating, pooping, sleeping and growing. That’s what’s happening for the chicks today. Frances is busy looking after them, and also appears to be doing a little nest maintenance.

On Day 8, the chicks have more feathers! They're looking like little dragons or dinosaurs today. Their beaks are getting longer, and have started to turn from orange to brown at the tip. If you look closely, you can see one chick's eyes are starting to open, too.

The Chick’s feathers are really coming in! Their little wings and faces are changing by the hour today. A time lapse of this nest would be pretty amazing next time.

Coffee with a blanket in the sun on the porch - was what I was doing with my quarantine time this morning.

The breeze was brisk as the sun shined like a beacon in my eyes. I kept checking the sun’s position on the chicks. It’s magic to have a swiveling nest! There is one moment each morning when the sun shines directly on the babes if the heart is swiveled just right, but it doesn’t last for long.

Frances left them to hold down the fort by themselves quite a bit today. When she did sit on them, the stretchy nest squirmed beneath her like a pregnant belly. Pretty soon, she’ll only stay with them at night.

Margie and Marlene are big enough to be seen above the nest now. Their little beaks stick up like antennae, and occasionally slurp at the air. Are they tasting for something? Or are they chatting (arguing) with each other? They are 12 today. 12-year-olds have ideas, opinions and a desire to share them.

Oh wow… Margie and Marlene are taking over the nest! Frances rarely stays with them during the day, and you’ll see why when you watch today’s footage. These two are starting to stretch out, kick their feet and flap their little wings. Mama shows up once in a while to feed them a meal and chat about things. She picks around and organizes the nest, checks on feather development, and reminds them to get their exercise.

Day 14 was a noisy one. It actually felt like a real Saturday in the neighborhood - lots of yardwork, kids playing, people out and about on bikes, scooters and feet.

Day 15 marks some pretty serious wing flaps. The Chicks seem much more awake today, and are taking turns stretching out and flapping their wings. They’ve even started pecking around on themselves and scratching their heads with their feet. So many new tricks!

Wings! The Chicks are practicing lots of flaps. I’m guessing it’s really important for them to get up and move a bit, even in their tiny little quarters. They’ve got to keep the blood flowing to all the parts they are growing right now. They move around a lot in their little nest.

The Chicks are so cute. Seriously. Their little heads remind me of Hershey Kisses peeking up out of the nest when their fuzzy bodies are all tucked in together. I remember feeling scared last year when I’d see them get up on top to do wing flaps - it seems like they could fall right out at any minute. Now I see them differently this year.