Nature's Bounty

While I was in Florida, Jeff kept telling me about a Robin who was banging it's head on the glass window in my studio. I told him, "well, either it's nesting or being aggressive against it's reflection".

After I got home, I was doing some house clean up and was sweeping the front porch. When I turned around to go into the house, I spied with my little eyes, a robin's nest right by the door. She had built it into the ivy that is growing on the side of the house. So that explains the window! I've since seen the robin (who I have named, Thelma) banging into the window and I think I know what she is doing. I've tried to get some video of her doing it, but Thelma is a bit shy and seems to sense my presence immediately. In this window, hangs a fabric garland. It is very raw, with loose ends and fabric bits and scraps torn and shredded. I think she is trying to get at it as she sees it as stuff for her nest!

Anyway, I've been taking photos every day of the nest to document from nest, to eggs, to babies. As of today, we are at 3 eggs. Typically Robin's will lay 4 eggs, so I betting that come tomorrow, I will find a 4th egg in the nest.

This is Thelma, her nest is in the front of the house. She is a bit shy and does not like to have her photo taken. Here she is lingering on the ground in front of the porch area where her nest is. I tied some ribbon and a note that says, "please use other door, birds nesting on porch" so that no one bothers them (well, except me!)

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However, the good news does not end there! Today, I discovered yet another Robin's nest on the back porch in the ivy! So this robin, I have decided to call Louise. Louise is not as shy as Thelma and she will let me take photos as long as I don't get too close. So far, Louise, does not have any eggs. So i can't believe we will be watching two nests at the same time!

here Louise sits in her nest. Have you ever seen a robin's nest? have you noticed how perfect, like a bowl, the inside is? Well, as I watched Louise today, I figured out how they do that. She scooch's about on her hiney in a circular motion all around the nest. As she is doing that, it's like a pottery wheel, and the inside is getting nice and smooth, like a bowl. pretty cool!

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while we are on the subject of robin's, babies and nest - here is an amazing video. enjoy :

Robins - 4 Eggs, 4 Weeks from Fred Margulies on Vimeo.