leave the nest

At about the time that the last child is leaving the nest, elderly parents move to a point of needing assistance in their lives.

He taught, seasoned, encouraged, and broadened all of us while we were his students, and he supported us greatly after we had left the nest.

Checking nests keeps the adult birds away from the nest, exposing the eggs and chicks to cold or heat, and can cause large chicks to leave the nest prematurely.