Robin’s Nests

Four Bright Blue Robin's Eggs (See the baby birds in a video at end of article.)

Several months ago, two robins arrived in our apple tree. Just two ordinary robins, no big deal...Until we noticed that they were building a nest.

For maybe a week, they carted huge loads of twigs, scraps of string and cloth, and other materials over to the bush that lies right outside our living room window. Finally, they had finished building their nest. By that time I had dubbed the female (We could tell that she was the female because she was a bit more plump, and she was almost always the one on the nest) Sky, and my brother had very creatively dubbed the other, male robin, Rob. 

After that task was finished, Sky took a few days to get used to the nest, settling in and adjusting its shape as needed. Then, she began to lay her eggs. She laid one each day for three days. Three little, sky blue eggs sitting safe and warm in the nest that their parents had made for them. 

On Saturday, May 9th 2020, the last baby robin broke free of its safe, warm shell and entered the world. From that day forth, both parents, Rob, the one with the white teardrop feather and Sky, with her pearl necklace of tiny white feathers encircling her neck, were on full duty, fetching and carrying food to their three precious chicks. The chicks grew fast, and my hopes grew that I would witness them learning to fly. 

Unfortunately, soon after my hopes started to grow, I woke up one morning, and went to check on the nest, as I usually did. It was then that I realized that the nest was gone. I frantically asked my mom what had happened and if there were any survivors. My mom had said that she had checked, but I doubted that she had been very thorough. I rushed out, and to my dismay and great sorrow, I spotted two tiny hatchlings, one impaled on a branch under the nest, the second, the smallest, the runt, lying where it fell on the ground, frozen and dead. We never found the third chick, and to this day, I still don’t know what happened to it. Maybe whatever had ripped down the nest had killed and eaten it, maybe we had just looked over it, and maybe the parents had somehow moved it to try to save it. 

Whatever had happened to it, it obviously didn’t survive, because, a week or two later, I was watching the bees on our rhododendron right outside my bedroom window, and I startled a bird in the bush. It fluttered over to the banister, and to my surprise, I spotted a ring of tiny white feathers around its neck. Sky and her mate, Rob, had made a new nest. And it was right outside my window! 

A few days later, I returned while Rob and Sky were both off getting food, and snapped some pictures. The nest was at almost exactly my eye level, which made it extremely hard to tell what I was photographing. Before Rob or Sky returned and dive-bombed me, I left the nest, and checked what images I got. Four eggs this time, caressed in a sturdier, deeper nest.

A few days ago today, I checked the nest, and Rob had a huge clump of worms in his beak. I watched, cautious. Rob dipped his head into the nest, where I couldn't see it. When his head emerged, his beak was empty. I inhaled sharply. The eggs had hatched. 

Today, I snapped some new overhead photos and a video, and the four, sweet, precious baby robins were all alive and well. Hopefully, (fingers crossed) I will watch these robins learn to fly, right outside my bedroom window.