From cardinals to robins... nature at work

Last Saturday my daughter discovered the robins nest. And when she told me about it I warned her not to touch it and not to get too close for fear she might be attacked by some extremely defensive birds. There were three small blue eggs in the nest, the warm summer sun keeping them warm. Meanwhile momma and poppa robin were out doing whatever it is that momma and poppa robins do with an expectant family on the way.

At least the cardinals of last summer had enough sense to build their nest in a thorny vine, out of reach from any predator of a mind not wanting to get pricked. These robins have no such sense. They built the nest in a large bush which happens to be next to the deck at my parent's house. Instead of building the nest safely in the middle of the bush, where we'd be none the wiser to its presence. This nest is in a place where any predator can get at it. Predatory birds, like blue jays, raccoons or even possibly enterprising squirrels or whatever. Any one of the people here could reach in and grab the nest and easily destroy it, if we so choose.

I can tell you that when I was taking these pictures, there was a lot of loud chirping going on and flipping about the trees adjacent to the nest. I think the robins deem me too large of a predator to attack, since I had to get really close to the nest to even attempt a decent picture.

Sometime between Saturday and today, all three of the eggs hatched. I went outside today and took these pictures as best as I could with a crappy cell phone camera. The picture of the robins nest with eggs in tact is not the nest in my yard. I found it on Google to share with you, since I had no camera available to use last Saturday.

One thing is good, though. When the robins are finished with the nest, recovery of it will be a snap.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures.








Semi-related wildlife note: we have several cardinals living in the trees here in the yard. I wonder if they are any of the birds from last summer's brood.

Unrelated wildlife note: We seem to have at least two rabbits nests in the yard somewhere, as there are wild bunnies in the yard almost constantly. One of the nests is under the first shed and the other is next to the house in the front yard, though I can't confirm that for certain. Rabbits are harmless. I like having them in the yard.