Independence Day

It wasn't quite the 4th of July, but June 27 was a true Independence Day for the brood of birds that began their life just outside the door of The Times. Mama Bird made her nest in the light fixture above our front door, just as she had the year before. But this year tragedy struck.

Teeny (McMunn) came to work on June 22 to find the nest had fallen behind the newspaper box. She texted me, saying the birds were still alive but "I'm sure I should call Hospice." Two birds were still inside the grounded nest and Teeny gingerly used a piece of paper to move the two others closer to the nest.

She watched and worried as Mom and Dad flew back-and-forth, looking for the nest, which they eventually found. The tiny birds were well-hidden, so we decided to keep mum, hoping they would go unnoticed by passersby (especially curious children on their way to the pool), and wished for the best. At that point, we were afraid that only two would survive.

Aside from being dive-bombed by Mama Bird whenever we entered the office, all went well. Teeny and I kept one another updated on the birds' progress regularly, via text. On Monday morning, June 26, I arrived to find only three babies, which looked about ready to fly. (I hoped number four was already gone.) When I arrived at work on June 27 all the birds had flown the nest.

Former Times co-publisher, Anita Baker, visited our office (and was dive-bombed) during the ordeal and suggested that our readers might like to hear of our adventure.