May my heart always be open to little birds who are the secrets of living
e. e. cummings
Thank you for sharing this spellbinding saga with me.
Will never see the world the same way again.
Yesterday began with a most close watch on Viento, as has been the case everyday after the tempest and near death experience. We’d come so far, and so improbably resurrected, naturally I felt called to see this through at any personal cost.
Emily was not seen all morning–of course she can sneak in feeds in seconds when am not around–but also wondered if this was a psych job on Viento to promote the leap of faith to flight.
Viento took back to the nest ledge bright and early at dawn and launched nest test flights from there rather vigorously. Finally saw Emily come to feed Viento in the late morning and then depart rapidly. Had been filming and filming and filming so finally took a break. As watched Viento, saw that look in her or his eye that had been seeing for a couple days–this bird was no longer content to observe.
This being WANTED it.
Viento made a move back to the ledge and there is a sort of energy build you can detect when they pump themselves up to overcome fear. Had strong feeling this was it. Indeed, Viento took off, flapped wings, and elevated up and back into the underneath tree canopy by a few feet, executing a fine takeoff and landing.
From egg to flight in three weeks–saw every hour of it, and more. A genuinely breathtakingly lovely, beautiful and ebullient scene.
Emily appeared from her secret lookout and quickly fed Viento, surely to let her/him know she was still present and in support.
Viento preened a long time and was quite content with things as they now were, but eventually flew again around the inner canopy area. Emily was darling from around five feet away and below carefully observing.
A phone call came in and next thing I knew they were nowhere to be seen.
This morning I believe I saw them flying and playing in the tree. There has been a run of mama Broad Taileds lately by the feeders and in the skyways about my CENTCOM compound, but this was a mama and fledgling right in that same area that sure looked a lot like Emily & Viento. Am so deeply curious about Viento’s progress, but also need to move on too. The big score would be to see Viento at a feeder. We will see but my heart’s overflowing with gratitude.
Filmed the final test flights, final nest feeding, and Viento on a first perch. Too exhausted by it all to edit. Stay tuned.
~
In these five plus weeks of constant observation, I could not help but imagine how powerful would be to guard a hummingbird feather in my medicine bag or for ceremonial purposes. A massive long shot to find one though, and so just a flight of fancy in the overwhelming glory of their close presence.
Later in the day after liftoff, the light shifted to backlit and I got an even better look inside the sacred nest that Viento had called world for weeks. Was amazed to find the unhatched egg intact, but also to my curiosity a tiny blue thread wafting in the breeze.
Dear sweet Viento had left me a gift:
❏