Day 21 (babies 6 days old)
Above left is a photo from yesterday in which I managed to catch a baby's open beak. I want to get a picture of the mother actually shoving food into their mouths, but Momma, on the right, is very cautious, and when she even catches a glimpse of my form at the window (this picture on the right is taken through a screened window), she jerks up to glare at me, and the beaks drop. In my book, it says that baby robins are fed a staggering 100 times daily! No wonder she's so edgy. Both parents are constantly foraging.
The babies are also instinctively wise. They don't open their beaks to me. When I stand over them on my stepstool taking photos, they lie like tiny furred lumps, their bodies gently huffing as they breathe. Even if I touch their beaks, they lie immobile. They know I'm not mom or dad.
They are due to open their eyes today, Day Six. I took a picture this morning (see below--look at those pinfeathers!) but no beady little eyes are visible yet.
Day 23 (babies 8 days old)
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have eyes!
Here, too, is a not-very-clear photo of Papa feeding his babies. See those gaping orange mouths? They're like bull's eyes for him, so he can quickly shove food in and fly off for more.
I have been worrying a bit, because I saw Papa trying to drive off a large Red-Tailed hawk yesterday. But the hawk doesn't seem to have reappeared, thank goodness. I don't think he could get to the babies, since they are hanging under the porch roof, but he could easily attack Momma or Papa in an unguarded moment.
Just for contrast, here's a photo from the day they were hatched, compared with a cute photo from yesterday with all the babies pointing their beaks in one direction. The time lapse from one photo to another is a mere SEVEN DAYS. Incredible, huh? They sure have come a long way. One book I have says that "robins experience a 1000 per cent growth rate in ten days." I never would have believed it if I'd hadn't seen it with my own eyes.
Day 25 (babies 10 days old)
I took some photos yesterday, but from now on I am going to have to be very careful about disturbing the nest. The babies are getting close enough to fledging (leaving the nest) that they might hop out prematurely if I startle them. So, no more shots from my step-stool! Notice in the photo below that they are growing beautiful flight feathers.
Below is a sequence of photos while Momma was feeding:
Day 27 (babies 12 days old)
I just tiptoed out to spy on the babies (yes, they're still here). They are huge! As big as the grownups, really. In fact, they are so big that not all of them fit in the nest anymore, and one of them is nestled among the plants. Instead of just lying there like dead things, they peeped at me boldly, as if to say, "This is OUR nest. Who, may I ask, are YOU?" According to my research, most baby robins fledge by day 13, so these fellows are ready to launch. They spend a lot of the day grooming their new feathers. I noticed one pecking at the petunia stems yesterday, perhaps practicing for future worm-hunting expeditions. I 've also noticed that the parents aren't visiting quite so much. Maybe hunger is an incentive to leave the nest? Below is my last shot of them from close up:
And here's a photo I got of their heads popping up, taken from inside the house:
Finally, another bathing shot from yesterday:
Later the same day . . .
Oh my gosh, such excitement! A friend came to visit today, and as she walked toward the front door (and passed within two feet of the hanging basket), the fledglings burst out of the nest and went hopping off with their parents!! I completely ignored my friend (she understood) and took pictures. This is the best one (below)--the fledgling is on the left. They can't fly and have hardly any tail, but they sure can hop! I have read that from now on, the Papa Robin takes care of them until they can fend for themselves, and the Mamma builds another nest (whew! All this all over again!).
Well, I felt sad, and went to take a picture of the empty nest for this journal. To my utter shock, there were two nestlings still in the nest! They were huddled way down with a we-aren't-ready-to-leave-yet look (see below--one is kind of on top of the other).
The parents were nowhere in sight. I had to leave for an appointment, and I worried about those babies the whole time I was gone. When I returned, they were still there and STILL no sign of a parent. Had Momma Robin forgotten them? Would they wait there until they starved? Should I "help" them out of the nest so at least they could fend for themselves?
We had some raw meat in the house, so I cut off some tiny pieces in a worm-like shape and carefully dropped them in the nest. Later, the pieces were gone. Then, THANK GOODNESS I saw the Momma Robin on the fence with something in her mouth. I didn't see her at the nest, though. Will she continue to take care of them? Will they live to hop another day? This is extremely nerve wracking . . .
Day 28 (babies 13 days old)
Well, hallelujiah! Momma came back to feed the two stragglers yesterday afternoon, so I stopped worrying. She was quite attentive, and the two babies were fine last night and first thing this morning. At some point during the morning, the third baby must have fledged, because when I went out at noontime, there was only one left. He was out of the nest, nestled among the plant stems, looking as though he were gathering courage to parachute (see below).
Sure enough, a few minutes later, he jumped clucking from the nest and hopped into my garden. This photo is a little blurred because he was moving! Look at those long legs.
Both Momma and Papa were on hand to guard his first steps, and soon he was hopping across the lawn:
So, the nest is finally empty. Frankly, I need a rest from all this drama. Of course, for these four fledglings, the drama is only beginning. Here's hoping that they all thrive, eat lots of yummy grubs, migrate to some pleasant spot this winter, and return to our yard.
The hanging plants will be waiting for them. By the way, here are the petunias, post-robins. Amazingly enough, they're still blooming!
Well, over and out from Robinland.
