"Don't wish me happiness I don't expect to be happy all the time....It's gotten beyond that somehow. Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor. I will need them all." Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Wednesday 6 May 2015

A robin's nest(s)

I found the robins nest in the eaves of my shed. It was partially built when we located it and each day we checked on the progress. One day a single blue strand appeared woven into the outer edge. That probably came from the blue tarp that I have over my firewood that leaked last winter. Does this robin like blue? Curious I pulled some blue plastic threads off the broken end of the ragged tarp and set them in a visible spot. Would she be interested? This robin wasn't and the next blue thing was an egg. Then a squirrel moved in and the egg disappeared. There is a simple, delightful book for toddlers called, Have You Heard The Nesting Bird?" By Rita Gray. Of course you all know that the nesting bird is quiet. In this book the nesting bird is a robin. The book shows what's going on at the nest and it also introduces other common birds and their calls. Maybe the robins in my shed needed to read this book. I'm leaving you with a picture of a robins nest we found on the ledge of an open window at a cottage where I am working. We've been peeking at the babies each day. Isn't birth a precious gift?
Sent from my iPhone

17 comments:

  1. Awesome! The baby birds are so sweet. Last year and this year we have a quail family with their nest in our asparagus plant on the front patio. Mama is sitting on 10 eggs now. Unfortunately they lose a number of their young as soon as they get out of the nest -- predators abound. Last year I found a baby stuck in our rock wall crying his little heart out as the rest of the family moved on over the wall to another area. My husband picked it up and put it back in the nest and Mama came back the next day and took him with her.

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    1. That's very sweet. Thanks for sharing Ann and I hope this year everything works out for the little darlings.

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  2. It's always such a magical experience to find an active nest. We have one in a shrub by our living room window. For the longest time the mother and father kept going in and out of the shrub. But it's been quiet lately. I can't tell if the babies are in there or not. It's well camouflaged. Our cat roams the yard during the day. I'm always a tad worried for the birds because of her. She's raided squirrels' nests before, the stinker. We keep her in at night because she seems to do it more after dark. So far things have gotten better with that plan.

    Love the pic you shared!

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    1. There is a lot of stats that speak of a definite problem between cats and birds. Particularly birds that spend their lives feeding and nesting on or near the ground. I don't own a cat now but in the past I have. I am well aware of how difficult it is to make an arrangement work out for yourself, kitty and the birds.

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  3. Oh, so sweet! It doesn't matter how old I get, I get such a visceral thrill when I see baby animals. My husband was trimming a hedge the other day and came across a bird's nest with eggs in it. We watch every day waiting for that lovely chirping sound...our kitties are gone now so they are free to roost here. Lots of excitement brewing!

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    1. It's so engaging to observe nesting birds. I'm happy for you!

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  4. I love finding nests with babies. They are so sweet. xo Laura

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    1. It's a sure sign of spring isn't it? Thanks for coming by.

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  5. Oh how wonderful to be able to watch the little robins from a safe distance! I enjoyed your story of pulling the blue thread for the robin to find, but since she laid an egg, she probably wasn't interested. Isn't it wonderful to see how marvelous birth is! I am looking forward to our baby chicks hatching, should be this week! Enjoyed your thoughts on robins, birds, birth, and life in general :)

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    1. She spent about a week building the nest and I offered her more threads on about the third day. Maybe she wasn't interested because the threads did not help to camouflage the nest at all. It's hard to know what a robin is thinking.

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  6. It is indeed a gift for the learned man, for the wondering child, for the home decorator...and this is why:

    My husband and I had the joy of watching a robin build her nest on the beams outside our front door overhang. My husband the Ph.D, the logical thinker, kept complaining that she found a terrible spot to build her home, and that the wind would knock it over. Well, do you know that bird showed him? She came back a few days later with mud packs and pasted that baby DOWN HARD! She raised two sets of babies in that nest, and the nest lasted, glued onto the beams for eight years, through storm after storm. He never uttered another complaint, and saw that nature knows best. teeeehehee

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  7. OH, and as for home decorating, you would have thought that nest was bought at a craft store; what looked light raffia beautifully swayed in the wind, as if she wanted to add a bit of drama to her home.

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    1. That's really sweet Anita! I think it's AMAZING how they build there nests. They know more than we do. I can't build a strong nest. I know because I've tried.

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  8. yes. birth is precious. and always in the beginning so vulnerable!
    to see them that way it's just a miracle to me that they survive at all. we had terrible storms (tornadoes) here last night and i thought of all the little birds in nests that might have blown to the ground. and yet this morning the air is full of bird sounds! calling to each other in such cheerful language. the resilience of nature!

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    1. Thank you for sharing your very insightful thoughts and I'm glad your ok. I've been in some bad windstorms so I understand a little bit.

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  9. A precious gift, indeed. And your photo is precious, too. I'll say it again, Ronda, your little girl is very blessed to have a mommy like you. I love these stories you share. Hugs, Nancy

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    1. Thank you Nancy. You are so positive and sweet.

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