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Post by hobbitlady on May 23, 2015 3:04:45 GMT
Well,the late rain this Spring kept me from a lot of garden chores....like watering and making noise .....for most of a couple of weeks. Today I got out planting and watering again and a chirping alarmed robin flew out of a non-bearing (froze late this year) plum tree beside a raised bed I was working. Well,the second time I went out and it happened again I looked in the tree and easily spotted the big ol robin nest. I just went out again 3 hours later,all quiet like,but the minute she saw me look at her from 10 feet away, off she flew,scolding. There are no babies yet but there must be eggs in there and I'm worried. I don't want her abandoning the nest After they hatch, as I'd feel terribly sad! I'd wondered if I should destroy the nest so she'd move an start over....but.... I decided to just leave her alone. Sigh..."let Nature take it's course" and all that. I Hope she gets used to me and none of the cats discover the "too easy" nest. If they make it,I'll be able to get some great bird pictures at least ....maybe I'll save the nest for the middle of wreath or something. I've never had one right In my fenced garden area before.  |
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Post by paquebot on May 23, 2015 13:37:46 GMT
There are some robins which are really nervous and others which will almost allow you to touch them. We've now had the same female nest in the same spot for 3 years in a row. Nest is above the bathroom window and near the driveway. If anyone comes around the corner of the house, she's off the nest. When the male is sitting, I can stand under the nest and almost reach up to touch him and he shows little concern. They've managed to raise 4 or 5 young each year so the female's off-nest time has never been a problem.
Martin
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Post by 1shotwade on May 24, 2015 14:01:57 GMT
I have a wood framed 2 story house. In 1995 I moved it 4 miles. While moving it discovered a robin was a the nest built on the transom of the front door.Every year since a robin has used that nest. One year my wife tried to get it to nest elsewhere by removing the nest. The robin won and is still nesting there to this day.
Wade
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Post by Callie on May 26, 2015 1:46:31 GMT
I have a swallow's mud nest in the light fixture on our front porch..... It was there last year but I neglected to clean it out due to some flimsy excuse. I thought of it the other day and decided I had to move it. Oops...a robin has moved in and there are 3 eggs. Now I get to wait a bit more.
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Post by hobbitlady on Jun 5, 2015 2:26:20 GMT
Well,the robin is hanging in there;so no more worries on my part.I never have looked in,but she's not feeding babies yet. One side of the tree is my deer fence and two sides are blocked well by branches.I can work the shielded sides without her being alarmed,just a few feet away. It's just when I'm doing something that makes me walk toward the clear-view side that gets her flying off squawking now.No matter how far back I stand she doesn't want be taking pictures either...line of sight I guess. Too bad she doesn't "get it" that except for pictures I forget she's there Until she flies! I never have seen her mate,which seems odd to me,but she's determined to raise her young I guess. |
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Post by paquebot on Jun 5, 2015 2:58:20 GMT
In the time involved, should be young about now. Parents won't be sitting after 2 or 3 days as they'll be busy finding food for the young. Our robins and house finches have fledged their young and gone. Now it's a wren which didn't want anything to do with two proper houses and opted for a coconut shell designed for chickadees. Chickadee would allow me to almost peer in and watch her. Wren flies out if I'm within 10'. It's a jungle here!
Martin
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Post by 1shotwade on Jun 5, 2015 3:05:28 GMT
I have house wrens every year. A few years back I was within 10 feet of the nest having my coffee when they left the nest.I couldn't believe she hatched out 13 little ones.Neat to watch.
Wade
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Post by hobbitlady on Jun 5, 2015 5:25:34 GMT
In the time involved, should be young about now. Parents won't be sitting after 2 or 3 days as they'll be busy finding food for the young. Our robins and house finches have fledged their young and gone. Now it's a wren which didn't want anything to do with two proper houses and opted for a coconut shell designed for chickadees. Chickadee would allow me to almost peer in and watch her. Wren flies out if I'm within 10'. It's a jungle here! Martin Sounds like a Great property to me paquebot.  Oh! Well, I guess they are quiet ones so far if they are hatched! She does seem "higher" than she did before when sitting...I guess she's giving them air. I did finally see her on the ground hunting close by,but I'm not out there all the time. I really ought to sit and watch awhile. All I've ever seen is the paler female though. Maybe I'll flip over some straw mulch and expose some extra worms to give her an easy day tomorrow. It's gonna be in the 80s and even 90s Early this year,this week already, so I guess they won't be getting cold. |
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Post by Callie on Jun 5, 2015 19:07:40 GMT
I go in and out our front door all the time and the robin keeps coming back. I'd not worry too much about her.
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Post by hobbitlady on Jun 7, 2015 5:11:55 GMT
Right you are Callie and I did stop my worry. She's there to stay and if scared off is always back asap. I spied two little ones today sticking their heads up when she was gone but didn't get a "for sure" count since I was dragging a hose around. Then she came back and I'd lost the light anyway out there. I need to make time to get some pictures since I know they grow so fast! Martin was right about the timing and I think they've been hatched several days, I just had no clue. They arn't chirping for food yet like I've heard in nests I've seen over the years,just big open mouths right now! he/he
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Post by paquebot on Jun 7, 2015 12:50:41 GMT
Unlike some other bird species, robin chicks aren't very talkative. In all my years, I've never heard a single peep from a robin nest. They just wait patiently for their parents without letting any enemies know that they are there.
Martin
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Post by hobbitlady on Jun 14, 2015 20:59:03 GMT
Well,only two little ones I've seen but they are tougher than I imagined. Last week we had a day over 105 and I saw a poor tiny head laying inert on the top of the nest. Thought it was a goner for sure as the mom was nowhere around for a very long time. Then I saw her just looking at the motionless baby,watching like a vigil around twilight. Next morning there she was feeding them! It was 100 for two more days but they made it and are getting to look like robins already! I've had poor success at pictures...I'm just not steady with my zoom and they hide when I get close;but I got one decent one I'll post when I can figure out photobucket. I'd just gotten good at using the "attachment" feature for phots and now it's been disabled,drat it all.I'm not good at computers and have to go find another tutorial on here. Luckily I know there are some step by step posts by members. Anyhow,thanks to all for the robin comments.I've been enjoying this learning experience all close up and personal-he/he. |
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Post by hobbitlady on Jun 15, 2015 1:55:50 GMT
![]() OK. One hopped up in view and the other is a mouth.  \ |
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Post by hobbitlady on Jun 16, 2015 3:09:37 GMT
Wow. Out of the nest already! The dad robin Was around and he was clucking in one tree.I Never saw him at the nest,ever, so seeing the adults together was nice. The mom was watching the garden area from the other side of the house.It seemed like each one had an eye on a chick. I saw one chick flap to the ground in the garden and hope it gets back in a tree for the night,as there are so many nocturnal predators around here.This morning was the first time I saw both little ones on the edge of the nest (the mouth in the picture was always hunkered down) standing upright and of course I didn't get a picture...Argh. I didn't know that would be my Only chance. Well, it's been fun for me. I need to prune a bunch of watersprouts off that plum tree so I guess I'll have a souvenir nest in a few days,providing they don't come back. |
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Post by paquebot on Jun 16, 2015 5:43:14 GMT
They don't take long to leave the nest. With ours, seems that the adults were sitting just a little high one day and young robins in the shrubbery a week or so later. What I have not found is why as many as 5 eggs may be laid but usually only 2 or 3 chicks fledge. Where do the others go? Chicks of some birds eat their smaller siblings but robins apparently do not. Stronger chicks of other birds force weaker ones over the side but again I don't think robins do that. I'm certain that our robin had 4 eggs and perhaps a fifth but I only saw 3 beaks resting on the nest rim. No broken eggs on the ground nor dead chicks. Just one more mystery of Mother Nature's doings.
Martin
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Oh! Well, I guess they are quiet ones so far if they are hatched! She does seem "higher" than she did before when sitting...I guess she's giving them air. I did finally see her on the ground hunting close by,but I'm not out there all the time. I really ought to sit and watch awhile. All I've ever seen is the paler female though. Maybe I'll flip over some straw mulch and expose some extra worms to give her an easy day tomorrow. It's gonna be in the 80s and even 90s Early this year,this week already, so I guess they won't be getting cold.