More Bird Tales

After taking such a hiatus from blogging I find there are a lot of stories that have been fermenting in my head and are ready to come out. Today I'm going to share the woes and successes of our robins.

When we first moved into this house we had a few odd or upsetting experiences with the robins in the area. At first we were delighted when they started building their nests under the eaves of our deck. Momma would fly away every time I walked out the back door, but she would come back soon enough and roost on the eggs. Then we noticed some very strange behavior from another robin. At first I thought it was Momma, but I realized later it had to have been a different one. This robin would fly at the window in the back door repeatedly. I watched and realized the same bird was doing the same thing to a neighbor's window. A friend suggested maybe he was flying at his reflectiong, but the window was under the deck roof and he would come at it from a side angle, so I'm not sure that was the answer. The end result was dirt/mud dabbed all over the door. Another end result was that we found the bird dead under the window a few weeks later. We dubbed him the Kamikaze Robin.

The good news was that the robin in the nest hatched 3 little ones and we watched as they grew. Just as we were preparing to leave for a trip one weekend I heard a thump and found a dead bird on the portico over the front door. There is a very large window there (see yesterday's post). I didn't want a dead bird lying on the roof so we got out the ladder. I climbed up and retrieved the bird and carried it gently to the edge of our yard and pitched it into the ravine. It was after we got back that we found the other dead robin and assumed it had finally knocked itself out on the back door window. I pitched that one into the ravine as well. 2 days later Larry called me frantically. All of the baby birds had tried to fly and one had gotten his leg tangled in some grass or twine in the nest. It was dangling helplessly as all the other birds were squawking away. I grabbed a towel and stepladder and climbed up. Placing the towel over the baby bird I was able to hold him while I extricated his leg. I didn't want to just put him out in the wide open grass especially since we have hawks around here, so I carried him gently to the ravine and placed him in taller grass. This may not have been the best move as the mother spent most of the rest of the day hopping around the yard squawking and calling. I didn't know how to tell her he was fine and only a few feet away! Larry was an immense consolation as I fretted about the mother.

"She's already seen you throw 2 other birds over the edge. She probably thinks that's what you did to her baby!"

Ahh, the sweet condolences of a sympathetic husband. I've only been able to assume that Mother Nature took over and the mother and her family were all united.

Meanwhile we have another family in the back under the deck. If you look closely you can see 3 babies. It seems late in the season for hatchings but maybe it's because we had such a late spring.



Mom is that you?





Baby robins are surprisingly quiet. They don't chirp much, but when they hear me, they tuck down in. Meanwhile, Mom waits patiently in the grass for me to go away so she can feed them. 



2 beaks and one head=3 babies



I don't know about you, but the birds in these pictures don't look very old to me, and yet 2 days after I took the pics I went out for a morning walk. I was struck by how frantic and noisy all the birds were. Several Robins swooped at each other, squawking away. Sparrows frantically cheeped in the strident call they make when they are trying to distract you. Only the goldfinches seemed oblivious. I went to check the nest and much to my surprise it was empty. The babies had flown and the parents were in high protective mode. Momma Robin hovered near the hostas in the front of the house, so I'm guessing the 3 little ones were hiding there until they could get the nerve to actually fly away.

I love watching the birds... as long as they leave my windows alone!



The Paradox of August

August continues in typical fashion. We have had gorgeous days of sun, blue sky and warm temperatures. Petunias are nearing their end, but the chyrsanthemums are getting ready to pop. August is a month in which blistering days can give way to cool evenings. We can experience the dog days of summer one week and suddenly get a real taste of fall just a few days later. At this stage of the summer, I am tickled to see my hanging plants are looking strong and healthy. This is rare for me. By now, I've ususally killed them.

Today as I walked I found signs that fall is just around the corner. As Maggie and I walked the trail above our house, I found these beautiful leaves.

My garden is also displaying some signs. My hydrangea, which blooms white in the spring, slowly turns to a deep rose in the fall. It is a normally a beautiful bush and right now it is gorgeous.

There are 2 more weeks of August. One of the biggest surprises for me are the new families of birds under my deck. We have a nest of robins with 3 babies that hatched last week, and another nest of sparrows that hatched as well. I would have thought it was late to start a family! Did you know that baby robins are almost silent, while baby sparrows never shut up unless they are asleep? It's true. Trust me.

August is my favorite summer month. I will enjoy it to the last; rain, sun, cool or warm. Just knowing my hot days are numbered inspires me to enjoy every one there is.