Flew the Coop

In my column in the paper this last week I wrote about the sparrow who built a nest on our screened porch. We saw her several weeks ago one morning while drinking our coffee.

I thought she had somehow flown in through the door which we often leave partially open, and she could not find her way out.

When I stood to open the door to let her out, she dropped to the floor and scooted out a small rip in the screen that I haven't repaired yet.

I thought to myself, she didn't just discover that little opening, so I began to look around the porch. When I looked up on the rack where I store my fly rods, there is a little wicker basket that Jilda had hung there. Out from the edges of the basket I could see bits of straw.

I pulled up a chair to have a look and made a tweeting sound. When I did, tiny heads poked out.

I worked from home today and I always spend the

mornings working from the porch. This morning I heard fluttering sounds and the fussing sound of the mama sparrow. When I looked over, the baby sparrows had left the nest for the first time.

One flew to the floor in the back corner. Ol Buddy spied it and went in for a snack. I snagged him by the collar just in time to overt an aviary catastrophe. After putting him inside (he was not a happy pup) the tiny creature flew to the screen and scooted out the slit at the bottom.

Another one followed close behind.

A third one freaked and tried to fly through the screen. No matter how hard I coaxed, it would not go to the door or to the opening where to other two siblings escaped. I reached up and gently captured the little bugger in the palm of my hands and set it free out the door. If flapped for all it was worth and joined up with the rest of the fam.

The attached photo is not that good but hopefully you can see the baby sparrow.

What a gift.