I’m so glad my kids don’t grow up as fast as bird babies do.

Last Monday (May 30th), we noticed that our baby robins were very nearly as big as their parents and had most of their real feathers. They finally had orange coloring showing up on their breasts, too. Can you see another little head peeking out under the one that’s sitting at the edge of the nest?

Ken climbed up the ladder to take a few photos, and Lindsey held the ladder for him. We’ve done this many times over the past weeks. Once the babies had opened their eyes and could see us, they usually ducked down a little deeper into the safety of the nest. But this time was different; two babies flew out of the nest right at Ken and Lindsey! Lindsey screamed, and Ken got pooped on by one of the birds. (As a bystander, this was quite amusing.)

That’s when we realized that the third baby robin had already flown from the nest before these two made the jump. They hadn’t gone far; two landed on our fence, and one landed in a small tree.

I was still concerned that the one I’d put back in the nest a couple of weeks before could’ve had some wing injury that wouldn’t allow it to fly like the others, so we watched carefully. The parents continued to come to the babies and feed them, and the babies “peeped” to let the parents know where they were.

We have some bird-stalking neighbor cats around, so I was hoping the babies would stay inside our fence. But one flew onto a high limb in a big tree. Another eventually flew into some brushy bushes outside the fence. One little bird stayed on the fence all night. I worried about him. The next morning, the little bird was still on the fence. I wondered if it’s parents had abandoned it, but soon saw the mama come to feed it again.

Later that morning, the baby flew up into a maple tree. I ran to get my camera for photo. I love his speckled breast and the tiny tufts of downy feathers still left on his head. If you look close, they almost look like little horns.

When Lacy the WonderDog came a little too close for the baby robin’s comfort, it flew away into a tree outside our yard. We haven’t seen them since, so we hope they are all safe and sound.

Lindsey and Kathryn both hope the robins build a nest on our porch every year. I’d love that, but I hope for a little less drama next time.

See also:
Robin Study – Part One
Robin Study – Part Two

Jamie

Wife, mom, J-ma. Introvert who enjoys good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand – unless it’s lost yet again in the microwave. Read more »