I have been watching a ROBIN for some days now. She built a nest on the top of my bedroom window. It was a wise choice. The roof overhung the area, protecting the nest from rain--and cats. I noticed the nest at first from the inside of my window, by the trailing fronds of twigs and straw hanging down.
The ROBIN came back regularly and finally stayed, sitting presumably on eggs. I understand the male assists, but I saw that later. She, or he, sat.
Then, one day when she was gone, beaks stuck up from the nest as I looked from the back window. I watched daily as the little ROBINS grew, their beaks open expectantly for their parents to come with food. Usually they settled down inside the nest after they ate. I tried to be as unobtrusive as possible. A few swung their heads my way and watched me.
There were four, one always bigger than the others, and fat like his father ROBIN, I saw him in my garden on the other side of the house, and one day after mother had fed her brood, along flew father ROBIN with food as well. Mom was slimmer. Soon the fat little guy was always standing in the nest. There couldn't be much room for four. I knew they would fledge soon. The other birds grew, but usually hunkered down in the nest. He sat high, or stood.
Surprisingly, there was little noise. It only occurred when Mom and Pop came to the nest, then they all competed for the worms. Guess who got the most. I wanted to watch carefully because of that fat little guy--but I missed it. Circumstances called me elsewhere, and within an hour or so, all of the birds had gone.
I heard a lot of chirping, or cheeping from the next yard, but I could not see them. How deflating. I saw little sign of any young ROBIN, with its spotted breast, as one usually did, pecking away for worms, Mom not far away. No, it was not the case this time. They had all flown up into the trees. When will Mom and Pop teach them to catch worms?
Now, I must look up into the trees in my garden and listen to a baby ROBIN cheep away. That leaves the three neighborhood cats frustrated, myself also for different reasons. I cannot see any sign of my newly hatched fledgling ROBINS.
