And "Poof" They're Gone

Mockingbirds are ubiquitous here, at least in our yard.  We've had at least 5 nesting pairs in the back yard, and I don't know how many in the front yard.

They nest close to the house, like the ones who made a nest in this bush ...

And since it's so close, it was so easy to climb up in this white chair and take pictures.

Most eggs hatch within a couple of days.
 

And they fly away in 10 days to two weeks.  The fledglings look like miniature mockingbirds, and they hang around for a week or so, or at least it seems that way.  Perhaps they just grow up.

I'm suffering a bit of an empty nest syndrome this summer.  My daughter is spending much of the summer at her grandparents' home, and my son is working full time.

Shades of things to come.