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This is a pic-umentary of a robin nest built on the side of our neighbor's house and will contain more information about robins than you ever wanted to know. The fascinating knowledge I share here is a combination of personal observation and the free and always-ever-accurate resource, Wikipedea.
Pictures were taken once a day using the zoom on my camera while the mama bird was off the nest. I never touched any part of the nest, eggs, birds, or surrounding areas and tried to be as quick and unobtrusive as possible.
The nest is about 4-5 feet off the ground and is built on the gas fireplace vent cover on the side of the house. I can see it through my dining room window. After noticing a mama robin sitting on the nest, I had to peek inside.
I wonder if this is the same mama robin who had four babies hatch in this same nest about 3-4 weeks ago? Maybe robins share or re-use nests?? Wiki says they build a new nest for EVERY new brood of eggs but I know that isn't the case here. I'm not sure if it's the same bird, but I know for a fact it's the same nest. It's made of twigs and grass and mud. Robins usually lay 3-5 eggs in about the same number of days. And what is this group of eggs called?
Anybody?
Yes! A clutch of eggs.
The mama robin sits on the nest pretty much the whole day, flying away occasionally but never for more than a few minutes. We had quite the rain storm on this day. Most of the nest is protected by a narrow overhang from the roof above but I watched large drops of run-off water land on the mama's tail and head for over 2 hours and she didn't move. (Well, I didn't actually watch for the entire 2 hours...)
Robin Egg Blue - one of my favorite colors from the giant box of Crayola crayons.
The mama bird rolls each egg daily so the baby doesn't get "stuck" to the inside of the shell and also to help keep the eggs at a consistent temperature.
OOhhhh. I think I'm more excited than I should be. But they're a little gross and look more like fish than birds to me. The eggs usually hatch about a day apart in the order they were layed. Breaking out of an egg is apparently very hard work and it could take a whole day from the time the baby bird pecks a hole through the shell of the egg, until they are completely hatched.
Look - they're getting some fuzz! But I'm a little worried about this 3rd egg.
I really thought it would be hatched today...
Phew. There you are - bulging eyes and all!
Wiki says it takes about 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch so I guess the eggs were there for awhile before I noticed Mama sitting on the nest. She still sits on the nest for most of the day, leaving for a few minutes at a time to look for worms. She sat on the roof and squawked at me the whole time I mowed the lawn on this side of the house. So then I mowed it really fast.
Stay tuned for:
next week.