Newest Baby Robins: The Second Clutch Fledges

While we were on vacation during the beginning of July, our son called to tell us that the mother robin had been flying in and out of the nest. Curious, he checked and found three new bright blue eggs.

We returned home on July 7th and by the time I got out to check on the eggs, dusk was falling and the mother robin was perched on the patio chair, waiting to go to the nest, so I opted to wait until the morning to get a photograph.

The next morning, to my surprise, the babies had only just hatched, three tiny little bald babies snuggled together in the next.

The tiny pink babies, shortly after hatching.

We photographed them nearly every day, capturing the subtle changes as they rapidly grew in size and quickly developed a fullcomplement of feathers.

Within two days the ir pink skin has developed color where they well soon sprout feathers, and more feathers are sprouting on their heads and tails.

 By this time, the mother robin was so used to us, she would fly from the nest and perch close by on the trellis or a chair, but she seemed much more comfortable with us than she had, earlier in the spring.

Mother Robin flying toward the trellis that is about 10 feet from the nest. I was amazed at the detail I was able to capture.

We had some lawn signs on a table next to the screen where the nest is. I was photographing not just her babies but all of the flowers in the yard and she flew over and sat quietly on one of the wooden sign stakes, not three feet from me.

Gradually, they got larger and larger, sprouted more and more feathers, and they frequently sat with their heads up and out of the nest, waiting for their mother to bring food.

At less than a week of age, they have developed a fair number of feathers and more than quadrupled in size.

Waiting for mother to bring more food.

Their color is fully developed and feathers are gradually covering them. I love the wispy tufts on his head.

The mother was very attentive. We never saw the father robin this time around.

Feeding her babies. Because we knew she was alone with no father to help with food gathering, we left sunflower seeds for her in the bird feeder, which she seemed to enjoy.

I was so hopeful that this time, I would get to see the babies take flight for the first time, kind of like a baby taking his first steps. I had missed the first clutch by hours, but with my friend Blaine visiting from Texas AND two pairs of eyes keeping watch, we waited anxiously for their big day.

With a full complement of feathers and barely able to fit in the nest, I knew they would be gone before long.

 Our patience and persistence paid off. We were able to witness all three babies leave the nest. How exciting!

The first fledgling readies to leave. He is perched on a clump of twigs and straw next to the nest on the screen.

The first fledgling, moments before he flew off. To his left, extending in front of him, you can see the wing of one of the other fledglings.

Here, a second fledgling has left the main nest and is next to the her brother.

When the first robin flew off, I was so startled, I didn't have time to really focus the camera. He headed straight off to the side and struck the sliders, fortunately gently, and then gradually coasted to the patio.

Although he seemed to be stunned initially, we presume from his collision with the glass, he eventually flew off into the trees behind the pond, where the mother robin was flitting from branch to branch.

Two robins left, the female (left) who was the second to fledge, and one other, the runt, who left the next morning.

The little girl flew off and landed on the patio near the pool. Then she flew in short bursts around the pool to the rose garden, where her mother met her. They flew together onto the rose trellis, and then off across the garden to the pines behind our shed. It was amazing to watch them flying.

The last baby spent one more night in the nest and his mother came back to check on him several times. The next morning, Steve saw it fly down to the patio and then head off to join the rest of his family.

The first robin family stayed close to the yard, flitting in the trees in our tree grove. We heard their busy chatter and watched them flying together for weeks. This second family flew around the yard for a couple of days but within a week, the three babies had flown off. The mother still comes into the yard and perches on her favorite resting places. I don't know if she will lay any other eggs, but we are leaving the nest alone, just in case.

Garden Visitors: Baby Robins

Several weeks ago, we began noticing that a pair of robins was spending a lot of time in our yard.  Although the trees in and around our yard are full of songbirds, we rarely have such close contact with them. Since they're so "people shy", I take most of the photos of birds in our yard with a telephoto lens.

Birds come to feed at our bird feeders and fly past as they go from tree to tree, but it's unusual to see them perched on the garden structures, fence and trellis.

Then, one weekend, Steve noticed robins flitting past the sliders from the family room which open onto a patio under the deck. From his vantage point just inside the glass, he became concerned that they might accidentally strike the sliding doors.

When he peeked out, he was amazed to find that the robins were building a nest atop a folding screen that had been left leaning against a portable outdoor potting sink.

We  store most of yard furniture and gardening tools under the deck for the winter and had only started moving the furniture out for spring. It usually hides a tool corner, but while moving things around and neatening up, the screen had been left in a precarious position, leaning against an outdoor portable sink.

Once the robins started building their nest, we felt we couldn't move it and hoped it would hold steady until their babies were able to leave the nest.

For several weeks, the robins stayed close to the nest, flying out and about the yard and the garden, bringing back twigs and leaves. They completed their nest and then about two and a half weeks ago, we noticed the mother robin was spending a lot of time in the nest. In fact, she would only fly off if someone approached.

Eventually we realized that the mother robin perched in the nest almost all the time, flying off for a few minutes hear and there or if someone approached. And even then, she rarely left the yard. We hesitated to try and see how many eggs; every time we stepped within ten feet of the screen on which the nest was perched, the robin flew off.

Out of deference to the robin family, our son posted a sign on the sliders, asking guests not to use the doors which opened next to the screen and we all tried our best to avoid the area and not disturb them.

Both the male and female stayed close by and spent a lot of time flitting around the yard, allowing us to get some excellent pictures of them without benefit of a telephoto lens.

The male and female perched on the fence not far from where their nest is.

Capturing a picture in flight this close, with my regular lens, proved quite a challenge.

Now we know how the stains got on Buddha's face!

Two days ago, we heard peeping coming from the patio and saw a tiny beek poke up over the edge of the nest. When the mother bird flew off to feed, we finally stood on a nearby chair to try to get a photograph, not an easy task as the nest was close to the rafters supporting the deck.

With the lens aimed down on the nest, it took many tries but I was finally able to get a great shot of the new babes.

Robins usually lay four eggs in a clutch. I don't know if there are two other eggs beneath these chicks, or if she only laid two, but we can only see two tiny babes.

Again today, perched on the kitchen ladder, we were able to get some images of the babes after the mother bird flew off for a bit.

Today they were sleeping when we photo'd them, but shortly after that (after the camera was put away, of course), we saw the little beaks once again peak up over the side of the nest as they chirped and called for her.

Unfortunately, I will be traveling this week and can only hope that they are still there when I return. I so want to see their mother lead them from the nest!

Added Sunday evening:  Earlier this evening, the mother flew off to get some food and we saw the little ones looking for her to feed them. We were able to get this picture while she was out and about getting food.

Looking for their mom to feed them.