Our new house has these columns by the front door. We’re not really column people, but they came with the house.

The day after we moved in, Pam told me there was a bird’s nest over one of the columns and she thought we should take it down. I love birds and I love bird’s nests, but I’m not really fond of having baby birds right over the front door. I agreed.

I took the step stool and went to get the nest down. Instead of reaching for it to remove it, I decided to look inside. The stool wasn’t tall enough. I couldn’t see anything.

I went in the bathroom and got a mirror. Returning to the nest, I climbed up the ladder and held the mirror up to look inside.

Four fluffy nestlings.

Of course, it has taken a few days to unpack the camera, and it took time to get a really good picture of the nestlings. They’re larger now than they are in these pictures taken yesterday, and they’re much larger in the pictures than when I first saw them.

These are young House Finches. Despite my initial estimate of four nestlings when I first looked in the nest with the mirror, there are five. Both parents are tending them, but the mother tends to spend more time at the nest.

Today, one of the nestlings was standing on the edge of the nest, furiously flapping it’s wings. I guess it will be a few more days before I can remove the nest.