Animal Writings

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a robin's nest in a small isolated section of shrubbery in the front yard. The nest was about five feet off the ground and contained four bright blue eggs. Though it was a welcome sight, I was concerned because the nest didn't have a whole lot of protection from any side, or from above. Also, it was next to a well-used path for humans getting to and from the street (and my car).

I became like a worried Dad-to-be, checking on the nest each day to make sure everything was intact — but trying not to get too close, so that I didn't bother Ms. Robin. I joked (I think) with my wife that maybe I should urinate not too far from the nest to scare off predators.

I've gotten to know the mama robin's behavior fairly well; for instance, I know that after getting food from the ground, she likes to alight on the nearby dogwood tree briefly before approaching her nest from the west entrance.

It's been raining a lot around here lately. The other day it had been raining and drizzling for hours and I felt sorry for the robin, who I figured must be getting soaked while sitting on her nest, since she didn't have much cover above her. After some deliberation, I bought a clear plastic dome that's used to cover outdoor tube-style bird feeders and placed it securely on top of the shrub, above the nest. I might have been imagining things, but when I looked at her afterward, and she was settled in the nest, I could swear she looked comfy. She was dry, anyway.

This morning as I went out to my car, I noticed two tiny baby robins in the nest. It was such a happy sight. They were so fragile and delicate; their only feathers were wisps of down. Their hungry mouths were agape. I didn't want to linger or interfere with mama's routine. Looking out from my car, before I took off, I spotted the mom on the dogwood branch, carrying food in her beak for her new brood. A few seconds later, she swooped into her nest.

To her, and all the moms out there: Happy Mother's Day.

Labels: mothers, Mothers Day, robins