To be fair, I have no way of knowing if this nest belongs to one of the robins we watched grow last year. We did learn in our studies that sometimes robins do go back to where they were hatched to lay eggs, though, so I’m choosing to believe that this is the next generation of “our” robin family!
Ever since we realized that a robin had built a nest in our tree this spring, we’ve been working on a bird project. It’s finally finished, and I’m very proud of Turkey and Bunny for their hard work.
I did the typing for them, but they dictated everything, from the “bird word” definitions to the timeline of the birds in our tree.
They even lent their robin Webkinz to the project–one perching on top of the display, and the other “eating” from the soda bottle bird feeder we made, which is now residing in the aforementioned tree.
It was a great introduction to science projects for them, and I think we’re all looking forward to doing more in the future!
When Turkey looked out the back window at lunchtime one day this week, he was greeted by this surprise visitor:
I’m going to assume that this is one of “our” baby birds…otherwise, it’s not a very good story! Anyway, Baby Robin let us get quite close to her, and I got a few good pictures. I found her spotted breast to be quite amusing–it gives her quite a tiger-y look–not what you expect from a tiny robin!
It was fun to see one of the babies almost two weeks after she left the nest–we had all been wondering just where they went, but at least now we know it wasn’t too far!
I don’t think that I’ll ever get tired of watching these baby birds! They’re so cute, and they change so fast, (much like my children)–everyday, there’s something new to see!
The latest observation–they look like they have little feathery eyebrows!
Turkey was very excited so see that their spotted feathers have grown in. He had read about this in one of the dozen or so bird books we got from the library, and has been telling us that we need to be on the lookout for the spots, because that’s what identifies robins as members of the thrush family. The things you can learn from an eight-year-old!
I imagine they’ll be testing their wings, soon. We’re all going to miss them when they leave the nest!
For some reason, in the last few days, the mother and father robins have decided that they don’t trust me as much anymore, so I’ve had a more difficult time getting pictures, but they did let me sneak out there this afternoon.
The baby robins have tiny little wing feathers, now. I’m also surprised that no one has fallen out of the nest–they’re pretty crammed in there. According to our bird book, they should be opening their eyes by now, but I haven’t been able to verify that–they’re still sleeping a lot. We can hear them “tweeting” during feeding time when our windows are open, and they’re big enough that we can even occasionally see them stretching their necks out to eat from the front window.
It’s amazing how fast baby birds grow–they’ve already at least doubled in size! It’s also amazing how wide they can open their little mouths!
For those who are interested, the names of the baby birds are: Robbie, Bobbie, Baby Robin, and Bobert. The parents are Robert and Roberta, so we kind of have a theme going here!
I have to say, I’m really enjoying having a bird’s nest in our tree!
I wish I could share a picture of the bird on her nest, but every time we leave the house, the bird spooks and flies off. The tree is right by of our front window, however, so I can see her sitting there from the comfort of our den. For some reason, I find it very entertaining just to watch her. Every now and again she stands up, stretches, (I assume that’s what she’s doing, anyway), and sits back down in a slightly different position. I imagine it does get rather tiresome sitting on eggs all day, everyday.
Earlier, another bird made the mistake of perching on the other side of the tree. I can’t even describe the noise that followed; suffice it to say, the other bird left quickly! I had forgotten just how protective birds are of their young. That could make getting a picture of the babies once they hatch challenging to say the least, but I shall try!
This experience has also raised some questions. Does the mother leave the nest to hunt worms? She must, right? Do robins mate for life (I know some birds do)? If so, where is the male, and what is he doing? If not, does he care about his babies at all, or has he just moved on? Why are robin’s eggs blue? Are eggs uncomfortable to sit on, or is a bird’s body designed so that it’s not too bad? I’m determined to find the answers to at least some of these, because my curiosity has been piqued.
I’m loving this living biology lab right in our own front yard!
It’s a very exciting day here!
We are very excited that Robert and Roberta, (what else are you going to name two robins?), are going to be parents. The children immediately pointed out how small the eggs are–I guess they were expecting something more chicken egg sized. They are also mildly surprised at just how blue the eggs are. I’m just hoping these eggs survive so we get to see the baby birds!