BIRDIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A FINAL UPDATE. The nest is empty... =(

[calimary]

23. Waaah. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

I'm afraid we're reaching that point here at casa de calimary. The first birdie either jumped, fell, was pushed, or tried to fly out of the nest, on Sunday. Our son found it sitting on our front door stoop Sunday morning. And then he started skeedaddling outward! Flapped and flopped his little self all the way across the street and UP onto the curb. Mom and Dad birdies were squawking and swooping and making a commotion, trying to follow the little guy. I ran to grab my shoes but by the time I hurried back out front, he'd disappeared. My son kept trying to stay mellow - "try not to worry, Mom. It's Nature. You can't do anything about it one way or another." I knew he was correct but didn't like the thought of it. You just want to go nuts and scream - "MY BABY!!! MY BABY!!!! OH NOOOOOOOOOO! SAVE MY BAYBEEEEEEEEE!!!!" But, in truth, the little guy does have to be able to fend for himself in the world, once he's big enough to leave the nest.

We have a "carpet" of leaves and grass and twigs and stuff spread out directly underneath the nest so if somebody falls out, they don't hit the hard cold pavement below.

And then there were three...

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We're at a point where they don't all fit anymore (even with one gone already). Their little butt-feathers stick out now!

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BUT THEN... LAST NIGHT... ALERT! Birdie-on-MAILBOX!!!! It was nighttime, and I didn't have the heart to turn on the lights - OR use a flash on my camera. You have to look carefully, but By Jove, there he is!!!!

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One of our son's bandmates came over. He rang the bell even though he knew we left the front door unlocked for him. He wanted me to come downstairs and see. There was a birdie perched on our mailbox - REALLY close to the door. The mailbox is fairly close to the nest, about four feet or so below it. And there he sat! He moved slightly - from one side of the mailbox to the other, and evidently clung there all night. This morning, he was gone.

And we're left with kind of a mystery at this point. Assumed he finally flew off after the sun came up. Just how many birdies were in that nest, to begin with?

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I thought SURE I saw five a few days ago. Didn't get a photo of it in time. They move around up in there.

But we finally figured there were four. So minus one on Sunday, and that'd make three. The little guy last night, we assume, found his "sea-wings" and flew away. Or did he flap his little wings back up, so he could return to the nest? There are still three in the nest now! Getting fat 'n' sassy!

Last year, and the year before, we heard and saw the first signs of them at the end of April. April 29th & 30th. By Mother's Day they were either leaving or had flown off already. These, this year, got started about two weeks earlier. Monday April 13th was when I first heard the earliest little chirps. I figure they'll be LONG gone by this coming Mother's Day. We'll probably be empty-nesters by the end of the week.