The summer summer of 2008, we were privileged to have a pair of robins make their nest in a maple tree right outside our breakfast room picture window. Our breakfast room is on the second level of our house, so we had a view right into their little cozy home. We watched with great anticipation as the pair made their nest just so, and watched with amazement as the eggs were incubated. What was so surprising was watching the "daddy" robin bringing food to the "mommy" robin over and over again, as the incubation period went on. Then, one day, we saw the mommy and daddy standing on the edge of the nest looking down. They had this sort of surprised look, as in "What in the world are these little ugly bald things with enormous mouthes doing in our nest?" They finally figured out those little ugly things would henceforth rule their lives for the next several weeks.
We were so happy when we could finally see the little robins poking their heads up. We affectionately nicknamed them "bobble head," because their heads are so big compared to the size of their necks, and they just wobble back and forth. We watched with awe as both mommy and daddy robin took turns feeding the babies and guarding them from the elements and other hazards. Their insistent chirping for food reminded me of my kids!
And all too soon, they were gone. Almost... And this is the terror part of the story.
The day before Father's Day, the girls were making a special breakfast for their dad. My husband and I had to fly out of town on Father's Day and were leaving very early in the morning for the airport, so the girls decided to do breakfast a day early. We sat down to a beautiful breakfast of pancakes and fresh strawberries. I was mid slurp with a cup of hot coffee, when I looked out the window and saw a disaster. I saw an upside down baby bird dangling from the robin nest! I stood up, and saw the parents on the ground tending to their other two newly fledged babies, but one of them hadn't made it. I jumped up from the table and ran out the sunroom door, saying "I'll be right back" to my family. I did not want the girls to be heartbroken over the little robin than didn't make it, and I was planning to remove the little body and dispose of it before they saw it.
I grabbed the step ladder and placed it under the nest. The ground wasn't level, and I was in a bit of a precarious position to say the least. I climbed up and gently grabbed the little bird, and discovered that one of its legs was entangled in fishing line, which had been woven through the nest. And suddenly, the wings moved and a squawk came out of the "dead baby." Then, I heard other squawks, and as I wobbled on the ladder, with one arm around the tree and the other hand on the baby, I felt something hit me in the head. Mom and Dad Robin were in full attack mode!!! And I was only trying to help! I finally disentangled the little tiny matchstick sized leg from the fishing line and made it safely down the ladder.
When I looked up at the breakfast room window, my family was lined up looking out the window with mouthes agape! They were definitely shocked at the spectacle of their mom and wife wobbling precariously off balanced on a ladder with robins dive bombing and fussing loudly!
When I started breathing again, I examined the little leaper, and discovered that his "knee" joint was dislocated. I was doubtful as to whether my little leaper would make it, as I placed him in a shady hidden spot in the flower bed. When I gently put him down, he fell over and couldn't stand. We anxiously watched and waited, and soon heard him squawking for food. And about an hour later, I went out and did a head count and found all three fledglings sequestered in various shady spots. What was so funny was that when I would crouch down to look at them, they would open their mouthes and peep for food! Guess they just were checking to see if there were any more instant food dispensers in the world besides mom and dad!
For two days, the little fledglings were on the ground in the backyard, and then they were gone. Sadly, a storm blew the robin's nest out of the tree, or we might have gotten to see the same act all over again.
Raising kids and baby birds is hard. I hope when it's time for my little ones to fledge that they don't get wrapped in something I wove into the fabric of their lives that I meant for good but it turned out to harm them.
We were so happy when we could finally see the little robins poking their heads up. We affectionately nicknamed them "bobble head," because their heads are so big compared to the size of their necks, and they just wobble back and forth. We watched with awe as both mommy and daddy robin took turns feeding the babies and guarding them from the elements and other hazards. Their insistent chirping for food reminded me of my kids!
And all too soon, they were gone. Almost... And this is the terror part of the story.
The day before Father's Day, the girls were making a special breakfast for their dad. My husband and I had to fly out of town on Father's Day and were leaving very early in the morning for the airport, so the girls decided to do breakfast a day early. We sat down to a beautiful breakfast of pancakes and fresh strawberries. I was mid slurp with a cup of hot coffee, when I looked out the window and saw a disaster. I saw an upside down baby bird dangling from the robin nest! I stood up, and saw the parents on the ground tending to their other two newly fledged babies, but one of them hadn't made it. I jumped up from the table and ran out the sunroom door, saying "I'll be right back" to my family. I did not want the girls to be heartbroken over the little robin than didn't make it, and I was planning to remove the little body and dispose of it before they saw it.
I grabbed the step ladder and placed it under the nest. The ground wasn't level, and I was in a bit of a precarious position to say the least. I climbed up and gently grabbed the little bird, and discovered that one of its legs was entangled in fishing line, which had been woven through the nest. And suddenly, the wings moved and a squawk came out of the "dead baby." Then, I heard other squawks, and as I wobbled on the ladder, with one arm around the tree and the other hand on the baby, I felt something hit me in the head. Mom and Dad Robin were in full attack mode!!! And I was only trying to help! I finally disentangled the little tiny matchstick sized leg from the fishing line and made it safely down the ladder.
When I looked up at the breakfast room window, my family was lined up looking out the window with mouthes agape! They were definitely shocked at the spectacle of their mom and wife wobbling precariously off balanced on a ladder with robins dive bombing and fussing loudly!
When I started breathing again, I examined the little leaper, and discovered that his "knee" joint was dislocated. I was doubtful as to whether my little leaper would make it, as I placed him in a shady hidden spot in the flower bed. When I gently put him down, he fell over and couldn't stand. We anxiously watched and waited, and soon heard him squawking for food. And about an hour later, I went out and did a head count and found all three fledglings sequestered in various shady spots. What was so funny was that when I would crouch down to look at them, they would open their mouthes and peep for food! Guess they just were checking to see if there were any more instant food dispensers in the world besides mom and dad!
For two days, the little fledglings were on the ground in the backyard, and then they were gone. Sadly, a storm blew the robin's nest out of the tree, or we might have gotten to see the same act all over again.
Raising kids and baby birds is hard. I hope when it's time for my little ones to fledge that they don't get wrapped in something I wove into the fabric of their lives that I meant for good but it turned out to harm them.
