The Visitor

All the the last one left behind was a pile of white poo. I looked around in the bushes to see if maybe I could catch a glimpse of a baby robin hopping around. I could hear the adult robins scolding but saw no sign of the last fledgling. Later in the afternoon, I heard my husband warning the cat in the living room, "Roxy, get down. Look at her, she thinks she can get that bird!"

I couldn't believe it. That silly fledgling was in the bush right in front of our window mocking the cat through the screen. Kind of explains why only 25% of robins make it to their first birthday. I do think it sweet that the little one came by to say a last goodbye. 

I couldn't get our cat's paws slapping the screen in the picture.

And Then There Was One

Only one left. All the others must have fledged the day before. Tomorrow when I go out to check on the nest, it might be empty. I looked around the yard to see if I could spot a fledging hopping around. Since they leave the nest before they can actually fly, I will keep watching. They must be around somewhere because the parents will continue to feed them until they can forage on their own. Hopefully, the mother robin will want to use the nest again for a second clutch. I wonder if all my observing and picture-taking will discourage her from sticking around.


May 26, 2011. This is one crowded nest!



May 28, 2011. Only one left.

Tight Fit

 At least one of these North American baby robins will be ready to fledge any day now. I can see the young birds begin to stretch their awkward wings above the nest. The adult robins work together to feed their growing babies several dozen meals each day. Most of the time it is hard for me to tell the adult male and female apart other than the female sits on the nest. Male robins are supposed to have a bolder colored breast and grey tail and the female is paler. Since they are never in the same place at the same time, it is hard to compare them. As soon as I venture near the nest, the mother robin flies away to divert attention away from the babies. If I linger too long, the parents start the warning calls. Usually they scold me from the roof but today the warning "tuts" came right above my head.
 

Watchful mother robin or father robin. I'm not sure.



On May 23, 2011, the nest looks like a bowl of feathers.

Weeds and Seeds

Dandelions go from bloom to puffy white seed ball in
9 to 15 days.

I love dandelions. But I am hypocrite. I only love them when they are not in my yard. Dandelions are actually considered a beneficial weed. Tell that to my husband. They add minerals and nitrogen to the soil and provide pollen for bees. Dandelions are also edible from root to head.

Dandelion field in an empty lot near my house. The house next door should probably hope
the lot isn't mowed right away. Mowing disperses the seeds even faster.

Almost Fledglings

North American Robin hatchlings on May 22, 2011.

The nest gets more crowded every day. If the young robins are nine to ten days old, they should begin to fledge by Thursday. Mother robin is very patient with my daily picture-taking. I wondered if she would dive-bomb me but she hasn't. She is also a meticulous housekeeper. No signs or smells of droppings in the nest.

Everyone is hungry! Mother robin is nearby. I can hear her "Tut tut"
warning call from the nearby cherry tree.

Say, ahhhh!

As of today, these robin hatchlings are approximately 6 to 7 days old. Now that they are a little older, I can clearly see all four babies. The feathers on their wings poke out like tiny drinking straws before they unfurl. Finer fuzzy feathers are beginning to cover the bulgy eyeballs. Their eyes are starting to open a bit. They only have about 7 more days in their nest. They have lots of growing to do before then.  

Somebody is hungry! May 19, 2011

I see four beaks! May 19, 2011

Growing and Changing

Near as I can figure, these robin hatchlings are between 5 and 6 days old. They will remain in the nest for another 8 to 9 days before fledging. After another two weeks, the young fledglings should be able to forage for food on their own and sustain flight. Assuming that a blue jay or crow doesn't rob the nest or this family doesn't experience some other disaster, the mother robin will hopefully produce a second clutch in the same nest.


Robin hatchlings on May 15, 2011. I think there are four babies in the nest
but it is difficult to tell.

 

Siblings

Things are starting to get crowded in Robinette's nest. The first fuzz is just starting to appear on the featherless bodies of her babies.  I am wondering when the fourth sibling will emerge. It is amazing to see the large size of the bulging eyes through the transparent skin.

Robinette's nest on May 14, 2011

New Life

Most of the blossoms on my pear tree have been blown away by the breeze. Branches of young green leaves now veil Robinette's secret nest.

Robinette's nest on Friday, May 13, 2010

A Bird's Nest

I call her Robinette. I see her every morning just before I leave for school. I found her nest by accident. I was taking pictures of one of my pear trees, white with blossoms. I got up under the branches and she suddenly whipped out of the tree. Then I saw the nest, perfectly cupped in the arms of the low branches. Where there eggs in it? I dragged a kitchen stool out to see if I could peer inside. The tree was buzzing with bees. I still couldn't see so I held my camera over the top of the nest and quickly snapped a few pictures. I figured Robinette was getting pretty distressed and I had disrupted her work long enough. After I dragged the stool back into the house, I saw her swoop back through the flowers and into her nest.

Mother's Day 2011