Empty Nest Syndrome

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I can’t believe what a great day this has been!

Last year we put up a bird box that my daughter had made. We put it on the kitchen wall which is just in front of our patio doors. We didn’t know if it was too close to the main house, but believe it or not, the very next day we had some blue tits showing an interest in it. Unfortunately it was too late in the year for nesting but we hoped that as they’d been interested, we’d maybe get them nesting this year.

Any road up … this year we had a pair of blue tits AND a pair of great tits fighting over it. The great tits won and for the past few weeks we’ve watched them going in and out. We weren’t too sure when they’d laid the eggs, but realised that babies must have hatched when they started to take insects and caterpillers etc into the box.

These great tits have worked tirelessly feeding their babies constantly, in and out, in and out, for the past couple of weeks.

But it wasn’t until just a few days ago that we heard the babies squawking whenever the parents were near.

Then we heard scrabbling.

Then, today, earlier this afternoon, we saw a little face peeping out. Then again.

It kept doing this for a while, but we didn’t expect … whoosh! All in a flurry, it left the nest! It flew over the fence and into next door’s garden. Then within seconds another one launched itself! And this time I managed to get a very short video of it! Woohoo! Unfortunately I can’t post the video.

The next hour was nerve wracking. We thought there was just one more baby left. We could hear it squawking, and scrabbling, and squawking again, and we even saw its face a few times, but it just didn’t seem brave enough to go that final step. Then I thought I saw TWO faces. Two more babies, not just one!

Then … as my daughter and I sat about six feet away, watching, one suddenly plucked up its courage, squeezed itself out of the hole – we saw its feet clutching the sides – and wheeee! Off it went in a flutter.

Then much to our great surprise, another TWO flew out, one after the other! Five babies in total!

We managed to follow a couple of the babies as they fluttered around the garden. They were so comical, fluffy and ruffled and so unsteady. One flew right past my daughter, which thrilled her no end.

And so the nest is now empty, and despite the day’s excitement now we all feel a little bit sad! No more mum and dad flying in and out with caterpillars. No more squawking and squabbling. No more cheeky faces peeping out to brighten our days.

Oh, well, roll on next year!

• 5 Jun, 2010
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