House finch nest in fern, swaying in the wind...?

We have a house finch nest in a large hanging fern. Today we had some really big wind along with thunderstorms, and the plant was really swaying very dangerously in the wind (60 mph gusts). I went out at one point to hold it steady from below (it's above my head). Roof flashing blew off the neighbors' house - the fern would have blown off too if I hadn't held it. The storm ended and Mama Finch came back and sat on her nest as before. Later, my husband and I decided to very quickly and discreetly loop a piece of string from the pot to the porch rail below, so that it will not swing up so high in the wind as to dump the babies out. The string is on the opposite side of the plant from the nest, so it is not interfering with the nest. He also tightened the hook. We completed this whole operation in less than 60 seconds and quickly went inside. Mama hasn't been back for over an hour. We are heartsick, afraid we scared her away, or that she is lost - it's dark out now-can they see at nite?