The Robins Have Almost Outgrown the Nest!

An update on our babies.  Since, Wednesday, they have grown -- a lot!!

I don't think think it will be too long until they are fighting for space and pushing each other out of the nest.

Robins in Their Nest

Right outside of our kitchen, on the top of the drainpipe elbow, is a nest.  Every year the robins use it and we get to see the babies before they fly off.

I took these still pictures on Sunday.  There are three babies in the nest and they're still really small.  Their eyes were closed and their necks were very weak - it was obviously challenging for them to keep their heads held up!  You can easily see two of them, the third one is in the back on the left.

They were obviously hungry and when they heard me they hoped it was Mama bringing some food.  Sorry babies!!

I did manage to get some video of Mama feeding them on Tuesday night.  In the first section, you can see the babies really well.  Mama came with some food, but then got spooked by something and flew off before feeding them.  The second part of the movie shows her feeding them.  Their mouths open wide, wide, wide to get some food!  The babies will eat worms, insects and berries.  She was feeding worms this time.

Apparently it's not uncommon for them to build a nest in a sheltered area.  They don't generally use bird houses, but do like some shelter.  They've been there for years, and come back every year, so they must like that it's protected from both the weather and the predators.  

I just saw her fly up into the nest tonight, so I know they're still there.

An American Goldfinch

Linking up with Chrisy at Living a Good North Coast Life for Reconnecting with Nature

I looked out the window into the back yard as I walked through the dining room.  Perched on top of the shed was a bright, beautiful goldfinch.  I have learned it's actually called an American Goldfinch.

The American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), also known as the Eastern Goldfinch, is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canadian border to Mexico during the winter.

The only finch in its subfamily that undergoes a complete molt, the American Goldfinch displays sexual dimorphism in its coloration; the male is a vibrantyellow in the summer and an olive color during the winter months, while the female is a dull yellow-brown shade which brightens only slightly during the summer. The male displays brightly colored plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate.

The American Goldfinch is a granivore and adapted for the consumption of seedheads, with a conical beak to remove the seeds and agile feet to grip the stems of seedheads while feeding. It is a social bird, and will gather in large flocks while feeding and migrating. It may behave territorially during nest construction, but this aggression is short-lived. Its breeding season is tied to the peak of food supply, beginning in late July, which is relatively late in the year for a finch. This species is generally monogamous, and produces one brood each year.

Nesting

Reconnecting with Nature -- Linking up with Chrisy to share a look at nature all around us.

In the corners of our house are drainpipes that go from the gutter, under the eaves, and then down the side of the house.  Every year since we have been here (this is our seventh spring) there are bird nests in both corners.  The nests are re-used every year and we delight in seeing and hearing the baby robins.  I have witnessed their flights lessons - and they are both amusing and amazing.  Unfortunately this year, one of the nests was destroyed.  There are black birds that take over the nests of other birds.  I'm not sure what the birds are (maybe one of you can tell me), but they will push the eggs and/or babies out of the nest and take ownership. We assume that's what happened here, either the nest wasn't on a sturdy enough base for a large bird and it fell to the ground or they were fighting over the nest.  Either way, the nest, babies and egg shells ended up on the ground.  I picked up the nest but wasn't really sure what to do with it.

Bird nests are a work of art.  I lifted off the top layer, and it was a perfectly formed bowl-shape.

Under that, was a more solid layer.  I guess every year they must have reinforced the base with some sort of a 'glue'.  In this case it appeared to be mud, and then a new layer of straw/grass, softer material was woven for the babies.

You can see how the nest has been built up year after year.  The circular layers are like a timeline.  This nest must be about 7 or 8 inches tall.

I took the nest and put it into a tree in the backyard.  I'm not sure any other birds will use it, but I couldn't bear to throw it away.

Birds at the Feeder

If we were still living in Southeastern Massachusetts we would likely be waking up to 8 or so inches of new snow on the ground.  I remember the sound of the snow falling.  You don’t think it should really make a sound - each snowflake being weightless and so delicate, but you really can hear it during big storms.  And that much snow changes the landscape for man and animals.  We had lots of birds around, and when the plants are dormant and the ground is covered, they can’t find food.  

We always kept bird feeders filled for them, most of the feeders we could see from inside the house.  This one was outside our dining room window.   The red bird on the right is a Cardinal - a male.  I think the other two are Nuthatches - a little hard to tell from this angle, but I think that’s what they are.

Linking up with Chrisy at Living a Good North Coast Life