Aren't they sweet? They were 22 days old when they took off. It startled me so bad! I was standing there, a few inches away, taking photos. They didn't show any signs of distress or fear, and then they suddenly just flew right up and landed out of arm's reach. I only saw them fly that one time, but they looked like pros. They hung around our courtyard for a few hours - I could tell they were practicing because they'd be in a different spot every time I went out. I got a few blurry photos but mom was feeling especially protective that day, so I could only stay outside for a few seconds at a time.
We really miss them, they were such a treat to see every day. In watching their progress around the courtyard that day I discovered an old nest we'd never noticed before. Mostly likely the same mother's nest from last year. So we can only hope that she'll be back in the future!
