Miss Kitty's Mama Robin Web Log

Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Topic: Miss Kitty's New Neighbor: A Mama Robin

On May Day, Sunday, May 1, 2005, Miss Jerrianne and I saw a robin sitting in a crotch in the birch tree just outside our window. We thought she might be measuring that cozy spot for a new nest. Sure enough! When we woke up on May 2, the nest was in place and the robin was scooting around inside it, making a secure cup to hold eggs and baby robins.

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© Jerrianne Lowther

When the nest was finished, we think she laid an egg. She came back a day or two later and we think she laid another egg. The nest is right at eye level for Miss Jerrianne, but even sitting on her shoulder I can't see inside, even when Mama Robin leaves the nest, so we have to guess.

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© Jerrianne Lowther

Miss Jerrianne set up a camera on a tripod and poked the lens through the venetian blinds. One morning at 5:30 a.m. I woke up when the robin returned to lay another egg. I made sure Miss Jerrianne woke up, too. She said it was too dark for photography at 3:30 a.m. "sun time," even though we could see the robin on the nest.

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© Jerrianne Lowther

I've been very good about not bothering the Mama Robin, but that doesn't mean I'm ignoring her. She knows it, too. It's hard to grab a nap when you have to keep one eye open to see what's going on behind you ... in this picture, it's the other eye that's open, watching for intruders.

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© Jerrianne Lowther

By Saturday it appeared that all the eggs had been laid and Mama Robin was beginning the two-week brooding period. Facing the other way, Mama Robin blends so well with her surroundings that that we hardly see her. She keeps a sharp eye out for predators ... that would be me!

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© Jerrianne Lowther

We think the eggs will hatch sometime this coming weekend and that the baby birds will fledge two or three weeks later.

In some places, robins will brood two or three times in a season. We wonder what "our" Mama Robin will do -- and whether she will use the same nest if she mothers a second brood this year.

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Date: Saturday, May 28, 2005
Topic: Mama Robin's nestlings keep her hoppin'

Once the eggs hatched, things got pretty quiet around the nest when Mama Robin flew off in search of food. The baby robins were too small to reach their beaks above the nest at first. On Thursday, the tips of one little beak poked above the rim just long enough to confirm that eggs had hatched. By Friday, the little birds were still lying low while Mama Robin shopped for groceries, but when she came back from the store, all the little beaks popped up to inquire, What did you bring me?


© Jerrianne Lowther

Next, Mama Robin bent down and regurgitated food into the beaks, one by one. The "baby food" is just to get the little guys off to a good start. In a day or two they'll graduate to real grub ... er... grubs ... and bits of earthworms, etc.

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© Jerrianne Lowther

This little guy was still hungry!

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© Jerrianne Lowther

Mama Robin is a tidy nestkeeper and into recycling any available protein. When she cleaned up after her brood, removing fecal pellets in their little sacs, it appeared that she simply ate them.

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© Jerrianne Lowther

Date: Thursday, June 2, 2005
Topic: Up, up, and away!

The little robins grew like weeds this week. Mama robin brought earthworms to feed her babies, which she did very efficiently, but seldom gave us a clear view.


© Jerrianne Lowther

When they were full, the little robins turned "bottoms up" and pooped out a fecal pellet in a white sac.


© Jerrianne Lowther

She lifted it off and carried it away from the nest. Very efficient! Better than Pampers!


© Jerrianne Lowther

The little guys are almost fully feathered --


© Jerrianne Lowther

-- and the nest is getting very crowded.


© Jerrianne Lowther

It's time to bust out of here and enroll in flight school!


© Jerrianne Lowther

The baby robins settled down for one last nap in their cozy nest.


© Jerrianne Lowther