TAKE FLIGHT

 We have seen birds nests and eggs in nests and birds in nests but we have never ever seen a fledgling leave the nest for the very first time...until now ...and how perfect it happened during Earth School.

We were in the back of the house and noticed a bird, a Phoebe, fly up to the corner of the house. We were curious and noticed the bird heading to a nest built in the crook of the drainpipe and the house.

The Phoebe flew away as we came near but up in the nest we noticed TWO figures (two baby birds). One sat up higher then the other. Please forgive the blurry picture but it is the only one we had of both young birds in the nest.

 We stood watching, and all of a sudden, the *taller* birdie FLEDGED the nest. It flapped its wings and flew low through the air and landed on a nearby Pine tree. And look how he blended into the tree bark! Camouflage in action!

And do you see the tufts of hair on top of his head? Very sweet.

It hung onto the tree for a few minutes, then flew again and landed among the leaves of a young Pin Oak. It was peeping all the time and we were hoping it was alright.

The fledgling soon jumped to the ground, hopped among the pine needles and under a Beech tree and rested near a log still constantly peeping.

 Was it distress call ? Was it a call to mom and dad Phoebe? or Was it a sound of jubilation "Look what I just did!"?

 We were nervous that if it stayed too long on the ground a predator might get to it. But no worries because who should appear but mama and papa Phoebe! 

They flew near and stayed close by. It was then that we left the area so as not to disturb the whole process, letting nature take its course. I went back to the area later on in the day and no birds were in sight so I would like to believe all was well.

TODAY, 
after we went exploring down by the pond, we came back to the nest and could see the one baby bird still in there. 

                            Seriously, isn't this the cutest face you ever did see?

I looked around expecting to see at least one of the adult birds . They do not seem to venture too far from their nest. Sure enough, we looked up in the Pine tree and saw a bird on a branch. 

 We walked near but the bird did not fly away as the adult birds always do. We looked closer  and realized it wasn't the adult bird after all, it was the fledgling from yesterday!

We walked right underneath the branch and he didn't even fly away.

 He was just chilling on a branch in direct view of the nest. Was he waiting ever so patiently for his sibling to join him?

Whatever the reason, it was so very precious and magical to witness the first flight and to then see the fledgling again and so content on the branch.

It's days like this that touch our hearts and make us realize how glorious this world is in which we live.