Feathered Friends and First Flights!

Life on the homestead is full of little surprises. The other day, while out in the shop, I noticed some movement on the floor. A while back, a bird had decided to build a nest up on one of the light fixtures. It wasn't really bothering anything, so we just let it be. Turns out, her babies had decided it was time to explore!

Three little ones, not quite ready for their maiden voyage, had tumbled out. I gently scooped them up. I’d been working on a new quail hutch, and though it wasn't quite finished, it seemed like a safe, temporary spot to keep them out of harm's way. My son was keen to help and even managed to round up a few worms and bugs for their first unconventional meal.

The next morning, during my chicken check-in, I peeked into the hutch – no birds! My heart sank for a second, but then I spotted them, huddled together a few feet away on the shop floor. As I went to offer assistance again, off they fluttered! Not just a clumsy hop, but a real flight, right out the shop door. And there, waiting near our big silver leaf maple tree in the yard, was a very relieved (and probably proud) mama bird chirping away.

It was a wonderful sight to see them reunite. We managed to snap a few pictures and even a short video of our temporary tenants before they took to the skies with their mom. We’re curious though – they were so small, and we're not expert birders by any means!

Take a look at the photos/video we've shared with this post. Can any of you bird-savvy folks out there help us identify what kind of birds they were? We'd love to know!

Just another little adventure here at Curley's Creek. Let us know your guesses in the comments below!

@curleys.creek on TikTok or @curleyscreek on Instagram for the video!