Baby birds in my fern - SAD UPDATE :(

[jazzcat]

Yay! A pair of purple house finches built a nest in the top of one of my ferns on the front porch and laid four eggs. I've been watching them for two weeks and today I saw one of the eggs is opened at the top. I had to water the fern but I took a quick peek. When I came back in I watched from the window and momma is helping her little baby break out. How exciting!

We typically have a nest there each year, but it's usually Carolina Wrens. This is the first time we've had finches. The mother is brown striped and the father is purple and brown - very pretty.

Just had to share.

UPDATE: They are gone! I looked out the window yesterday a few times and never saw the momma bird but I assumed she was gathering food for the babies. Today I decided to walk out on the porch and look and the nest is empty. No signs of anything, no eggs, no pieces of shells and no babies. I don't know what happened! The nest is in a fern in a hanging basket under the roof of my front porch. Nothing looks disturbed so I can't figure it out. BOO HOO! This is the second nest of babies birds I've seen not make it this year. The other was at my Dad's house.