Robin Observations

Who knew that when this little robin mom and dad showed up on our deck with straw in their mouths, that we would be at the beginning of one of the most fascinating learning opportunities of the whole school year!  The determined pair began building a nest above our outdoor light RIGHT outside our sliding glass door.  We watched them carry load after load of straw, stick, and dead grass and weave and pack it together.  Then they brought mud in their beaks and lined the center of the nest to make a cozy place to lay their eggs.  They watched us carefully from the branch of the big pine tree.  We admired  their teamwork, as none of us realized how much the parents work together to get ready for their babies!

And then, five days after building the nest, we spotted our first tiny blue perfect egg.

And the next day, there were two eggs!  We could spot her beak as she sat on the nest, keeping them warm.

And the next day, we found our third and final egg.  

 

Fast forward fourteen days, and our three tiny pink chicks hatched!!  Mama and Papa Robin worked diligently to feed their tiny brood, bringing worms and landing on our deck or the big pine tree before they fed their little babies.

By Day 2, already their down feathers are fluffy up.  Mama and Papa work all day to feed them, and sit on the nest to keep them warm from evening until morning.

By Day 4, they are looking darker and definitely have more feathers forming.

Day 5 we got to see their little beaks peak up, looking for their next meal.

Look at how much they've grown in a week!!  Their pin feathers are showing up on their wings and they have gotten so much darker.  They are much larger and are filling out!

Their eyes have opened on Day 8.

On Day 9, they are looking very feathered and are starting to look more like adult birds.  It's crazy how quickly they mature!

On Day 11, it is looking a little cramped in their nest.  Look at how much their feathers have filled in!

On Day 13, they know to squish down and hide from predators when I sneak to take their picture.  Their beaks have changed and it is cramped!

Our last morning with our birds in the nest was Day 14.  We got to watch them fly from the nest to find a place in the lawn.  Well done, Robin family!

Empty nest!

Mom and Dad stick close to their fledglings.  It is so fun to watch them learn to hunt and fly around our yard.  A couple of times I got too close to the edge of the woods where they were hiding and Mama Robin got very angry, swooping and chirping at me.  It was such an unbelievably lucky privilege that our Robin family chose our deck to make a nest.  We learned so much watching them grow!