Named Jesion, Jagoda, Jeżyna and Jawor, the storks were referred to fondly as "our little internet family" by one social media user. The morning of their farewell, Dr. Marcin Tobółka of Poznań University of Life Sciences, who runs the project, posted this emotional update: "Four young from Przygodzice 'smiled' to us goodbye today at 5:36. These were the last minutes in the nest before they got on with their migration."

The Journey South Begins
Jesion, the eldest, was first off the ground. At 8:42 a.m., he was perched on the camera mast and by 9 a.m., the three-month-old exploded into the sky. Equipped with a satellite transmitter, Jesion's migration revealed he flew south-east for 200 km, over Mikstat, Grabów nad Prosną and Wieluń, to end up near the Warta River valley near Częstochowa.
Shortly thereafter, Jeżyna and the littlest one, Jagoda, took off at 9:09 a.m. Jawor departed later at 10:36 a.m., all of them on their first foray south on their own.

A Bittersweet Goodbye
That night, the adult male stork Dziedzic arrived back at the deserted nest all alone, reminding us of the passage of time. For those who had seen the birds grow from hatchlings, it was deeply emotional. "It's like telling little children that it's time to go home," one follower commented. Another one simply scrawled, "Fly safe, our storks. We'll be here for you next spring."