Fledge Day

Day 256: For the last two hours, I have been sitting on the countertop with my feet in the kitchen sink watching a miracle happen. I fully expected the young Tree Swallows to fledge yesterday while I was gone, but they waited for me. This morning, I watched as each one of the SIX youngsters tumbled from the box and spread their wings in their first flight. SIX! But for rare exceptions, that is the maximum number of eggs Tachycineta bicolor lays in a clutch. I tried to capture the moment of fledging on video after the first four had launched themselves into a strange new world, but missed the crucial second as twice I fumbled for the record button on the camera while keeping my eyes on the bird in the doorway. More important to me was observing the moment of first flight. After the first three, I was surprised when a fourth head appeared in the opening, even more surprised when it vacated the house and a fifth little beak came into view. When the fifth one flew and a sixth appeared, I could hardly believe it. To the best of my knowledge, the previous record for the House of Chirp was four. The fledglings joined the parents in flight, returning to the doorway to offer chirps of encouragement to those still inside: "Look! I can do it! Flying is fun!" Of the lot, #4 was the most reluctant, taking a full half hour to decide to make the plunge. #5 was out the door ten minutes later, and #6 joined the family two minutes later. It's been a good day.