smagik

On Saturday a mama Finch fed and then tried to coax her four baby birds up and out of the nest. It didn’t work. Sunday came. And then Monday. She did the same.

With each day there was less head fluff and more feathers, less sitting and more flapping. Then the bravest, let’s call him Numero Uno, stood on the edge and looked across at the dogwood in bloom.

Baby and #3 watched with mussed feathers and sleep in their eyes. “What’s so wrong with being fed and hanging out here a little longer?” they wondered.

But, mama wasn’t having it.

On Tuesday she didn’t arrive with the usual regurgitated worms for breakfast. Nor for lunch.

“Uh oh” thought #3, “this seems bad. I’ve heard about this.”

By afternoon Numero Uno and Number Two had gingerly followed mom’s path and flown from the nest to the gutter to the dogwood. Humans watched and cheered from inside the door.

“This means we’re next” thought Baby, glumly.

Mom and dad had built their nest on top of a wreath on the front door of a house. Covered by a porch, protected from the elements, it was perfect until a bunch of grandkids showed up just before the 4th of July and suddenly the door was in constant motion, slamming back and forth.

“Shh, gentle, be careful, don’t disturb the baby birds in the nest,” the older humans whispered. But no one remembered. Mama bird knew she had to get her babies out quicker than originally planned.

#3 stood tentatively on the edge of the nest and gave their wings a ruffle. It felt weird to have wings. Flap flap flap. Another rustle, a leap, and suddenly there were flowers all around. Dogwood.

“Oh great,” whispered Baby. “My turn.”

Mama flew back and forth, back and forth, over and over; nest, gutter, tree, nest, gutter, tree. “Follow me”.

“I can do it” Baby whispered to no one. “ I don’t want to do it but I can do it.” With a slight exhale and one tiny step, the ground rushed upwards as Baby fell down, not forward as planned. Flap flap flap. Flap flap flap. Suddenly the metal of the gutter grazed their foot but it was too late to land. And then, just as suddenly, surrounded by dogwood blossoms, they perched on a branch.