Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Carolina Wren

Nesting Challenges: Boomerang Kids

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There are many lessons I could learn from bird parents.  How to deal with Boomerang Kids (the kids who comes back home as adults) is one such lesson.

Take the Carolina Wren parents as an example.  In the featured video, the parents call a fledgling back to the nest — tucking him in for the cold spring night.  The next morning, however, it’s back out into the real world — forever.  Yah, I got that wrong.

Next up in the video is the Bluebird family.  The first brood has fledged and egg-laying is complete for Brood #2.  A juvenile from Brood #1 shows up at the house — perching there with Daddy Bluebird.  They pretty much just look at each other.  Then Momma Bluebird shows up.  That’s another lesson I didn’t get right.  Momma Bluebird bars the door — no Boomerang Kids in this house!

Nesting Challenges: Nestling Maiden Flight

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If we look at nesting challenges from the perspective of the nestlings, the greatest challenge of all has to be taking that first leap of faith — out the door into mid-air.  The nestlings spend days exercising their wings before that first flight — flapping like crazy inside the birdhouse.  Still, from their perspective, they face the human-equivalent of a 25-floor jump.

As I said in my last post, I am totally immersed in the experience on fledging day.  Up-and-down they go to the doorway.  I cheer them on.  At times, I am ready to head outside and push them out the door myself!  At other times, it’s clear there is a hawk in the area and I pray they will heed their parents warning and hunker down inside the house.  My emotions follow each trip to the doorway — up-and-down.

I realize, of course, birds have been reproducing successfully without my support for eons.  Yet, when they choose to nest in a structure I provide, I feel responsible for their safety.  There is a special joy I feel in watching this post’s video.  Each maiden flight is like watching your child graduate.  Lots of factors went into their success, but you just can’t help feel like you, too, did something right.