last one out....

shut the door!
The nest box was aquiver with excitement today. both parents rapid feeding the babes in and out every few seconds with another morsel.  Little birds stretching and hopping about chirruping.  Then it happened.. the most adventurous one hopped up into the entrance and peeped out .. tried to fly but his wings were in the doorway so that was a fail.. then... pop! out he went and with a strong flurry of the wings was away and straight across without losing height, into the amelanchier tree about 25 feet away.. wow!!! I dashed to get the camera to try and see the face of the next one pop out of the doorway bracing itself to leave but in those few seconds all but one had flown.  I spotted a couple in the amelanchier but two others had turned right on departure and were happily ensconced in acrobatics in the philadelphus bush. So that left just one.. even it looked a bit puzzled.. and anxious. It hopped about the nest box investigating the window in the top of it and hanging from the roof whilst shouting loudly so as not to be forgotten.  It tried twice to jump up to the hole but fudged it the first time.. then... there it was looking out on the big bright world. A quick offload ((inside the nestbox) then... GO.. NO.. Wait.. oops! out it popped but found itself hanging on to the outside of the box..Courage my friend I whispered as I took a quick photo.. and off it went a little hesitantly but it made it into the juniper.. Hurrah!!
Within a few minutes the garden was full of whirring of wing beats as they flit between bushes and the roof and the roses.. then one after another the parents revisited the box to check nobody had been left behind.. God speed little ones.. and I look forward to seeing you return when the feeders are topped up later in the year.