Then on Saturday, June 22 the first baby fledged and left the nest with a hop and bounce off of our garbage can and into the lilly of the valley along our driveway.
I had just returned from swim class with Arden and we crouched down to check out the brave fledgling.
The rest of the brood was happy to stay put in the nest for now.
This is the view from inside our side door. They would perch on the edge of the nest and preen and test their wings a bit.
Big brother (I have no idea which gender this bird is; I just decided to call him a him) hopped and fluttered his way to our neighbor’s patio set.
I was about ten feet away and heard a little rustling in the tree I was standing under when I got whacked in the head. Mama bird dive-bombed me to warn me away from her little darling. I guess I deserved that!!
Later in the day he managed his way up into the lilac tree outside our breakfast nook. Mama (or Daddy?) bird stayed nearby and even popped a snack in his mouth.
He’d make little tumbling flights from branch to branch.
The next day all three of the remaining birds left the nest. It was a bit of a gauntlet for a while because the first bird hung out on our neighbor’s stoop making it a hazardous entry and two more were in our driveway. I was trying to bring groceries into the house and the adults were ever vigilant. I knew I didn’t want to get whacked again, so I took the groceries in through the back yard!
It’s been a fun experience for us and the girls to watch nature unfolding before our eyes. Have you ever had the opportunity to watch birds grow up like this?
That is fun to watch! And I bet you were surprised by the dive bombing momma!