From the first stringy grass for the nest to the last robin sneaking out the back door to fly away, this has been a huge eye opener of learning nature's way for us. I have tried to have Mrs. Robin sign a contract for her next brood but she was too busy to give me any kind of response. Of course, we'll leave her nest in our bush and do what we can to protect it. We've been told robins use the same nest for the next brood.
I spent many an hour trying to get an image of Mom Robin feeding all three of her young ones with their beaks all open. As I
have written before, it must be very confidential to Mrs. Robin--as I only got the
"tail-end" of the procedure. But
I DID catch an image of Mrs. Robin with her long sought-after worm in her beak.Unfortunately, it wasn't the long four-inch earthworm being snatched from underground. During the last few
days, we observed Mrs. Robin feeding her young, and then flying off with some "white thing" in her
mouth. At first we thought it was pieces of the broken shells, but we figured they were removed a long time ago.
KJ, a very special friend, informed us that Mrs. Robin was carrying out the "droppings" that were encased
in white bags.
Goodness me, Dear Lord, you were close to providing "diaper service" for your creations. Bobi, my sister, said that perhaps I should have had a paper towel and a plastic bag hanging up close by for her "little errands." The
INSTINCT that these robins showed throughout this exciting adventure is infinitely endless!
Of course, she knew there's not enough room in a nest for three almost fully grown teenagers and bags of poop, too.
This morning was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When we got up this morning, there was only one robin left in the nest.
Apparently, the other two took off some time last night. (Maybe Nature has a timer since the two that hatched first, flew first, and the last one to hatch, flew last.)
or more days! NEVER! Guess they showed me "a thing or two!"
We didn't see any sign of Mrs. Robin this morning before the last flight. She
must have been out to "Palm Beach" and thought the last fledging would finally get the hint and go out and "search for his own worms."
But about mid-morning, Mrs. Robin cut her "Palm Beach" vacation short and was VIGOROUSLY snatching up worms in our backyard. I should say she was literally GORGING herself! Was she making up for lost time or was she loading up for a "post-flight" treat for the kids?
(Robins do feed their young for a while after they take flight.) Guess I should give her the benefit of the doubt--fairness goes both ways, doesn't it?
And so I conclude, on
May 21, at about 8:30 a.m. --a day to be remembered --
The REAL WORLD BECAME
A REALITY for our "three
pinkish-reddish-bubblegum wads of babyhood" for what has been
MAGNIFICENT entertainment for us all.
YES, I sing their
last song. "So Long, It's Been Good to Know You." -- Rose Nuernberger
ReplyDeleteWhere do you think the little robins are now? Did they come back to the nest or is Mama Robin finding them hidden somewhere. I always think of baby robins staying in their nest and never have thought where they might go after their first flight. I see the little ones flying down
out of a nest, but wonder if they are strong enough to fly back up. Do you think it was a coincidence that one egg hatched last and one baby flew last. Did you see all three bigger babies in the nest at one time? I think if
so, pushes came to shoves. Does Mama Robin or Papa Robin fly into some space consistently for "feeding".
Working with you on this documentary has been fun.