04.26.2020 3...2...1... Blast Off!
Alright, so things got a little busy around here as the Chicks got ready to leave, and I decided to slow down and enjoy watching the happenings with my eyeballs rather than on my computer screen. Days 24 and 25 were more of the same - with many more test flaps and sitting on the edge of the nest like big kids.
I kept my distance except to recharge and download my camera, but when I peeked out at the nest from the house, it was hard to tell the difference between Frances and the kiddos. She continued to deconstruct the nest and bring them snacks as they powered up and got ready for lift off.
When I woke up on the morning of 4/26, the nest was empty! While I was a little sad for a moment about missing their exit, I was also glad they had some privacy and left on their own (without me being the one to startle someone or overstay my nosey-neighbor welcome). I didn’t spot any of the trio again until later in the afternoon, when I found one chick hanging out in our little Dogwood tree, and the other hanging out in the a matching little Dogwood tree across the street. Frances was zipping back and forth between their new big-kid apartments to feed them and give them foraging tips.
I parked my tripod among the trees and watched them try new things. As the sun started to go down, they snuggled together back on our side of the street and tucked themselves in their big-kid beds for the night.
I’m so grateful for Frances and her trust in our home to be hers. And I’m so grateful for another successful nest with two thriving babies! It’s been a couple of weeks now, and they’ve finally left the shrubs around our house and headed off into the big trees to be big birds.
I created a video recap of the entire adventure for a little library presentation I took part in: