A few weeks ago, a robin started construction of a nest behind a downspout in the back of our house. Because this was in the backyard, where the Big Crazy Dogs potty and play, I relocated the beginnings of his nest to the downspout outside the fence at the front of our driveway. This is the second year in a row I've done this, and these are probably the same robins.
I was glad to see she got the message and continued construction on the nest in our preferred location. Before we knew it, we were seeing bits of egg shell around and about and hearing the tiny "peep peep peep" of four baby birds. We started parking farther from the house to avoid alarming Mama and Daddy Robin as they fed and cared for the new babies.
In a startlingly short time, the "babies" had gotten so big they were practically spilling out of the nest. And this morning, the first one left. I spotted her (I'm just gonna call "her" Starbuck) on the ground in the back yard JUST as I was getting ready to take my dogs out there. After unsuccessfully trying to encourage her to hop out the back gate, I picked her up and deposited her on the driveway, ever mindful that there was an anxious parent perched on the fence ready to peck my eyes out if I made a wrong move. :)
Soon enough, Starbuck had made her way to the end of the driveway, with Mom ahead of her every step of the way trying to get a worm into her mouth. She then somehow hopped up onto a short post on one side of the driveway, and Mom joined her there to feed her.
At some point during the day, a second baby (we'll call him Apollo) left the nest. I saw either Starbuck or Apollo perched ON TOP of our 6-foot fence a little while ago, but he or she left before I could get the camera. It's amazing how fast they learn.
As of early Saturday afternoon there are two late bloomers, probably Dualla and Gaeta, still in the nest. But we're headed to Alabama for Mother's Day in a bit, and I'm sure we'll have empty nest syndrome by the time we return on Monday.
I hope we'll get a second clutch of eggs - last year the robins had two batches. I also hope our little robins will do okay in our little suburban neighborhood of roaming cats and dogs illegally off leash. Robins have a mortality rate of up to 80 percent a year, so it's certainly not smart to get too emotionally invested.