Apparently, our tree is quite the popular domicile. Same nest, just reinforced and made a bit bigger. I’ll be curious to see if the mother bird lays any more eggs, or if she’s done at three.
eggs
And Then There Were Four
We’re up to four eggs in the robin’s nest now.
From what little research I’ve done, this seems to be a very average number of eggs, as most robins lay between three and five at a time.
Now we just have to wait and see if four is it, or if this robin is an overachiever, and decides to go for the above-average five!
The Third Egg
Apparently there is a lot about birds I don’t know.
Yesterday afternoon, the nest in our tree contained two robin’s eggs. And they’d been there since at least Friday morning. This morning, I discovered that there are now three eggs in the nest.
It’s not the number of eggs that surprises me…I was actually a little surprised that there were “only” two in the first place. I was expecting there to be three or four. What I did find surprising was the fact that so much time could pass in the egg-laying process. I had always assumed that all of the eggs would be laid in a short period of time…within one day, I guess. So now I’m left wondering if this is it this time, or if we might find a fourth egg in a couple of days!
Birdwatching
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!
Inside the Nest
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!