Some updated photos: Day 24: Day 29: Day 35, just after first mowing: Overall I'm very pleased so far, thank you so much everyone for all of your advice! I did get a lot of weeds, but most appear to be annuals and should be cooked soon. I have some bare spots due to anthills and some reeeally hyper squirrels, but they should fill fine. And I am afraid I may have a fungus problem in some spots (I have another thread on that), but I think I can address that. Still this has been the most satisfying seeding I have ever done. Thanks again!

9:30 PM and the little pigs are still here sleeping soundly. They did a bit more wing flapping and some "slight" peeking but nobody made it to actually poke their heads out. Typical "day before fledging" activty. They look really good, well feathered and wow are they ever loud, they pop right up when the food comes so Iknow they are not the least bit weak. They ought to be pretty darn good little flyers by the time they leave...that is unless they are too fat! Im out of worms so they may as well leave now! LOL Can you imagine how big three 20 day old babies are? they better leave while they can still fit out of the hole or before we need the jaws of life to pry them out!

That's ok Donna, it is hard not to worry when you don't see them. Because I feed the Blues they alway end up bringing the babies to the feeders until the leave in the Fall. I would worry about them too if they left after fledging. I really don't think the Dees are in the woods by our house. I went down to the park today where I monitor nestboxes. It is about 2-3 blocks from my house and the closest woods other than our small one. The park is 32 acres, 10-20 wooded, I would guess. I was rewarded with seeing two chickadee families in the trees showing the little ones how to hunt for bugs. I couldn't tell the difference between the adults and the little ones but I could see some feeding the others. I watched them for awhile and a great crested flycatcher flew into the tree by them. Then I turned around and noticed a huge tree further off the trail in the woods, got the binocs and could see a racoon head sticking out of a hole in the tree, it was sleeping. Later walking out I saw a doe and a fawn the exact same time they saw me and they were gone in a flash. Just had to share that. lol! Anyway I around here the Dees are not at the feeders in the summertime even though they are here year round, the summer is for bug eating so I am sure they just took their little ones in the bigger woods (maybe one of the families I saw) and are showing them how to hunt bugs. Come late summer they start showing up at the feeder, I sure won't know if they are the ones that nested here but I will be glad they are back. Do you know if the Dees like to renest where they had a successful nesting, I am wondering if this pair will nest here again next year. Donna

Thank you for this. I was struck by the fact that when Hester wore the letter A in The Scarlet Letter it not only represented Adultery, it was also the letter of her "beau," I believe his name was Arthur. So the people of the town unconsciously pinned Hester with her co-adulturer's name.