Baby Robins Have Arrived!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

2014 Robin Saga:

The last week of May, I noticed a Robin starting to make a nest in a cherry tree in my flower garden.   By June 4, it was complete and she laid her first egg.   By June 7 ~ four eggs were in the nest and momma bird started spending lots of time laying on her nest.  She did not seem to be bothered in the least by me working in the garden and even under the cherry tree.  About two weeks later, I noticed a piece of a broken shell at the base of the tree and I figured at least one baby had arrived.  When I was able to get a photo three babies had already been born and one egg was still whole.  It seems they hatched in the same order they were laid (one egg a day).  By the evening of June 19^th, all four babies had hatched.  This a.m. I took a quick photo while Momma was out hunting up breakfast!  It appears their eyes are not open, but I do see little tufts of white feathers.

I hope they will all survive!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Great photos of nature's miracle.

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

beautiful!  I understand why that color is called "robins egg blue" now!  

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I know Joanna - I love the color!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

A couple of years back I had a robin's nest in the large shrub right beside my front porch, and I got to watch the whole process from nest building through hatching and feeding to the babies leaving the nest, and all survived! I hope the same for yours.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Thanks Karen.  This is a first for me and I have really enjoyed watching the process.  I have been told by friends how messy birds nesting in your yard can be, but I have seen nothing other than the one broken shell.  In this stage, dad & mom are bringing in worms and feeding the babies. When the nest was being created, Charlie was very curious.  Now, he just walks through the garden, and only looks up at the tree for a moment and moves on.  I am so glad neither of the doodles like to chase birds. 

[Gail and Bailey]

Oh what fun!  I hope they all make it!  I have a Carolina Wren nesting in one of my flower pots on my deck again this year.  I peeked in and there are four eggs and the mom was not there.  Peeked in next day and she was sitting on the nest.   Wish I could get a photo but the nest is really tucked beneath lots of greenery and I don't want to bother mama.  Can't wait to hear the babies and see mom and dad bring food.  This will be 3 years in a row that a Carolina wren has nested in my pots. Love it!  

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

It just happens that this nest is just a couple inches above my eye level and if momma is not there, I can stick my little point and shoot camera up through the leaves of the tree and get a shot.  I make sure to have no flash on.  I actually work in my flower garden at different times of the week and the mother robin does not seem to get the least bit nervous.

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

Great photos! 

[Julie and Max]

What beautiful photos!

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

How cool that you can get close enough and watch the progress! We have a bunch of nests in the yard, but all too high to see much. And then there's Jilly... Here's hoping your baby birds stay safe and sound!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

It seems that every time we go in the side yard to play ball, the adult robins are busy collecting food for the babies.  Several times Charlie has seen the Robin in the middle of the yard listening for worms and he looks at me then the bird like he would like to go investigate.  "Leave it" command has continued to work.  Once in a while Charlie will bark at a quail if they are on the fence close to our patio.  I hope that all four baby birds fly away safely without any issues.  Beau loves to run down the path through my flower garden and he knows there is a bird in the cherry tree, but so far he is not showed any more interest other than stopping to give a sniff up at the nest!  Keeping fingers crossed that the robin family moves on safely within a couple more weeks!

[Miss Ellie]

That is so beautiful Linda...nature is just so amazing...how sweet!