A robin and her eggs: Day 9

Yesterday was the ninth day since I discovered a robin resting on her eggs in a nest in my holly tree.

According to the National Audubon Society, robins may have 2-3 broods in a season.

I only went outside once yesterday to photograph the robin. I couldn’t bear to go out more often because I really didn’t want to catch the robin off her nest. I’m just not ready yet to see if any more of the eggs have disappeared.

For now, I’m happy to go on thinking that this little robin will soon become a mama.

You can see the past eight posts on the robin and her eggs if you click on the “Nestwatch 2010” link below.

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A robin and her eggs: Day 8

And then there were three.

Yesterday was the eighth day since I discovered a robin and her four eggs in a nest in our holly tree.

I was outside in the afternoon yesterday when I saw the robin fly off her nest. There were only three eggs inside.

I know it’s not a great photo, but trust me, there are only three eggs.

I read that robins’ eggs have predators — squirrels, snakes, crows, and blue jays. I saw a couple of blue jays in our backyard a few days ago. I don’t know if one of them got an egg. I don’t know if they’ll come back for more.

For now, mama robin still sits on her remaining three eggs.

I’m feeling quite sad.

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A robin and her eggs: Day 6

Yesterday marked six days since I first discovered the robin, four eggs, and a nest.

Mark mowed the lawn in the backyard yesterday and we thought that the noise would make the robin leave her nest. But she stayed firmly put, so I never did catch a photo of the eggs.

I like this photo because it highlights the nest a bit:

Robin fact for the day from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: A robin’s nest ranges from 6-8 inches wide and 3-6 inches deep. To put that in perspective, it would hold a softball quite nicely.

If you’d like to see the previous five posts on the robin and her eggs, click on the “Nestwatch 2010” link below.

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A robin and her eggs: Day 5

Mama robin is in a new position in her nest every time I visit; I seldom see her off the nest.

Here’s some information about nest sites from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

“Female robins choose the nest sites, which are typically on one or several horizontal branches hidden in or just below a layer of dense leaves. Nests are typically in the lower half of a tree, although they can be built as high as the treetop. American Robins also nest in gutters, eaves, on outdoor light fixtures, and other structures. In western prairies, American Robins may build their nests on the ground or in thickets, while in Alaska they sometimes nest on buildings or cliffs.”

You can see days 1 through 4 of the robin and her nest here, here, here, and here.

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A robin and her eggs: Day 4

Yesterday was the fourth day since I discovered the robin resting on her four eggs.

I was lucky enough to wander outside when mama robin was off her nest. I saw her in a nearby tree.

I swear the eggs are getting bigger.

Mama robin came back to the nest just a few minutes later.

Here are some robin facts. Robins’ most distinguishing feature, of course, is their orange chest feathers. Male and female robins are about the same size. They can be distinguished from each other by the color of their heads; females’ heads are dark grey and males’ heads are more black.

If you’re interested, check out days one, two, and three of the robin and her nest.

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A robin and her eggs: Day 3

Yesterday was the third day since I discovered four robin’s eggs in a nest in my holly tree. I wandered out to the holly several times yesterday to take some photos of the robin and her eggs. Mama robin was firmly planted in her nest each time I visited, so I never got a shot of the eggs.

I found this description of robins from the National Audubon Society which included this brief passage about the robin’s nest:

“the nest is large and well secured. It is composed of dry leaves, grass, and moss, which are connected internally with a thick layer of mud and roots, lined with pieces of straw and fine grass, and occasionally a few feathers.”

To those of you who may be worried that I might somehow harm the robin and her eggs, I certainly appreciate your concern. Please rest assured that I never get closer than about five feet from the nest and I am using the zoom function on my camera to take the photos. I, too, want both the robin and her eggs to thrive.

You can check out days 1 and 2 of discovering the robin and her eggs here and here.

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