While down at the lake working on my latest project (commonly called screwing stuff up), I checked on the LBJ bird nest a couple of times. When I checked early in the morning, I found two fully-feathered baby birds sitting on the rim of the nest. About two hours later, I spotted the mother bird hopping around on the main branch near the nest. Surprisingly, the two baby birds had left the nest and were experimentally hopping about on the branch. Not wishing to interfere, I left them alone and went back to work nearby but out of sight.

A few minutes later, when I walked near the nest, I found all three birds gone and the nest empty. I poked around near the tree but did not see any of the birds. The little birds have left the nest for good.

My little grandbirds made it!

I am posting two images I captured yesterday.

The Last Two Baby Birds at the Nest

The Empty Nest

—Mitchell Hegman

Note: There were four birds in the nest at the start and three the day before yesterday. I have no accounting for the two missing birds.