Flown the Nest

by Ellen
(Rochester, New York)

Robins Have Flown The Nest

We discovered a Robin nest early this spring on our 2nd-floor drainpipe next to our bedroom window; it was still pretty cold at night and mommy bird faithfully sat on those eggs.

Friends Photo of Robin Nest and Eggs

I heard the male Robin sing every day and saw both coming and going once the eggs hatched. We couldn't see it at first.

Eventually, we got a look after they were born with a camera taped to a piece of wood or holding a mirror when the parents were away. It was a fascinating experience.

I sang songs and whistled songs every day to the Robins and we had some non-verbal communication.

Once in a while, I threw out a couple of blueberries and I saw a Robin pick them up.

When I got a look in the nest there were 3 huge babies crowded in the nest; the next day the nest was totally empty.

I would continue to Whistle and call them and I do think the male would come sit on the roof next door briefly and look at me.

Baby Robin Waiting on Food

Now it is September and for the past two or three weeks maybe, I hardly see any Robins hanging around.

I haven't heard the male Robin's song since maybe the end of July.

And since the little red berries in my backyard disappeared I haven't seen any Robins hanging around at all.

I did see a few when I would take a walk around the block but not lately.

In fact, for the past week or so I have not seen any Robins, not even one.

I miss them and I do hope they return next year.

We still have the nest up but will probably take it down soon if we can get at it.

Whether or not they will build another nest in the same spot is hard to say.

We never have had a bird's nest before that close to the house that I know of.

It was well protected from rain and perhaps other birds by large eaves on the house but I worried because it was so high up.

We never did see the Robins eggs but I put a picture in from a friend of mine who discovered a nest in bushes low to the ground in their backyard.

However, I don't think those Robins made it as they were hidden but were close to the ground.

Robin Bringing Food

A friend of mine who does gardening there told me when he looked there were eggs on the ground and not just shells.

I don't know whether the Robins on my house made it or not; I can only hope so.

I still miss seeing them every day.

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Will they return?
by: Ellen

It's another year. A few Robins are starting to appear in the neighborhood when the temp gets warm, but it is still pretty chilly in upstate NY.

"My" Robin's nest is still on my drain pipe. Some other birds have stopped by to take a stick or two out of it or to sit in it.

Should I leave it up? What are the chances "my" robins will return ( or any robins for that matter) and would they prefer an empty drain pipe or would they use the old nest?

Does anyone have an answer? some websites say take old nests down and others say leave them up.

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Returning to nest site
by: Gene

Since nest are often gone after a winter, I remove Robin nest. Building a nest is part of the bonding process.

There's no way of knowing if they'll return to the same site. Here's hoping, Gene.

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Bird nest
by: Ellen B

Another site said they will use them year after year. I think I would leave it. I have a nest in a bush near my back door.

Yesterday some workmen were doing work on the house near the bush. I hope the racket didn't disturb the birds too much.

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update Tuesday, May 10, 2016
by: itasara

Doesn't look like my last year's Robins will return.

Some little sparrow like birds started picking at the old Robin nest from last spring until strands of it were hanging down.

Then it looked like a smaller nest was on top of the older one. These little birds were coming and going during parts of the day.

Then a few days ago, I was outside and I looked up at the drain pipe and the entire nest had fallen off the drain pipe and was behind the bushes on the ground.

I have seen a few Robins here and there in my yard, but not many. I heard one singing the other day nearby.

Who knows? It is still early and maybe some adventurous Robin will see the empty drain pipe and decide to build a nest again....

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Maybe they did come back to say hi?
by: Ellen

I sent a no which I can't find here but briefly some little birds (home sparrows?) came by this spring, may have built a nest over the robins nest but eventually the nest fell off the drain onto the ground.

Then yesterday, I think my Robins from last year may have returned.

First two on the roof next door then yesterday was on the drain and stayed there for some time. He went up to the house where the nest was and sat there then he seemed to look my direction for awhile. I took some pictures.

I just felt like it had to be the same Robin from last year, but I'll never know.

I put out some berries and water and mud and straw and paper and maybe they'll return again.. who knows? I can only try!

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maybe
by: Ellen

I do think one of my Robins from last year came back to say hello. I heard something outside my window about two weeks ago and there was a robin on my drain pipe. He knew just where the nest used to be and sat there for awhile.

I did take some pictures of him. There was a partial nest on the back of my house, but pretty flimsy and I don't think any thing came of that.

There is a robins nest now in my next door neighbor house on top of a light.

Looks pretty flimsy to me too but my gardener says he saw robin eggs in it. So I am sorry I don't have a new nest on my drain pipe to report.

Maybe it isn't too late? I put out some paper and mud and straw on the bush below but no bird seems to have stopped by to check it out.

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YES! Two years later!!
by: Ellen

This is the third spring and we saw Robins building a nest in a bush within the fence between my house and my neighbor just across from where the drain pipe nest was in 2015 only much lower to the ground.

So my husband and I kept our eyes on the nest area & shewed away other animals like the pesky squirrels and other little birds.

Didn't see the father but over next couple weeks saw mama bird come out of nest. Then I got a quick look and to my delight, I saw saw two very blue eggs.

There could be more eggs but the nest was buried in the bush and very dark space; it is amazing that mama bird could even squeeze into it.

Eventually I snapped a picture and lightened it and saw the eggs.

Yesterday I saw papa bird hanging around. I saw mama coming and going a few times- it was a sign. Today I took a peek and a little mouth opened up!

I came back later and snapped a picture while mama was out hunting.

So far only one mouth showed up! I am really happy to see robins back. Could be the same ones or maybe a relative?

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Pictures
by: Ellen

I tried to send a picture of our new baby robin and I went to the spot where you can do that and it kept coming back saying has to be in JPEG form.

I take these pictures on my iPhone and to be honest I assume these are JPEG but if not it's just probably too much complication right now for me to go figure out how to change it, and then if it doesn't work I will have wasted my time.

As it is, I spend too many hours of the day on my phone and or computer 💻.

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photo
by: Gene

Hi Ellen

Please scroll to the bottom of the page and use the contact us form. I'll help you get your photos up.

Gene
www.wild-bird-watching.com

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June 1, 2017 update
by: Anonymous

Don't know what happened to pictures I sent, but no matter.
My robins continue to do well in the small bush across from where they used to be when I first wrote in 2015.

I had a peek at them yesterday and they are looking Very much like grown birds now. Can't see them well- nest is deep in bush and I don't want to disturb them. I can't tell for sure how many there are. I know two for sure.

I watched out my window for about an hour this morning. Both parents visiting the nest frequently.

I saw one bird leave. Then I saw a squirrel pass by and the robin showed up out of nowhere on top of neighbor's umbrella watching squirrel.

When the squirrel passed by under the robin, the robin went after him and chased him up a tree at the end of the yard.

About 20 min. later, another squirrel came by and the same scenario happen. It was amazing to watch!

Now another story. A friend of mine rescued a baby robin from a neighbor's nest. No parents around and two siblings had died. It was very "new."

So my friend diligently raised this bird. She brings this bird with her everywhere. I was in a meeting with her yesterday and she brought the bird.

She feeds him live mealworms and now of late he/she is eating blueberries, kale, lettuce.

He has started to fly and both my friend and this robin have an obvious symbiotic relationship!!

She says she will let the bird find his way out when ready and wants to leave. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future!!

Speaking of blueberries, I planted three different varieties of blueberry bushes this week.

They are young but all are flowering. Maybe next year, who knows maybe this year, we'll have blueberries for robins et al and maybe us too.

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Nest on the ladder
by: Jennifer malon

My mom has a robin nest that was made on top of her ladder right in her back yard next to the shed there was 3 eggs.

She said she had only seen 2 hatch but when I came this week there are no babies or mother in the nest and we found pieces of the egg shells on the ground away from the nest.

There is no sign of them ever being in there and it hasn't been that long since they hatched.

I'm trying to find out what might of happened to them or where they could of gone.

I dont think anything killed them any suggestions for us?

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update in 2020
by: Ellen

After I first posted in 2016 a robin finally came to our drain pipe this year in June 2020 and built a nest. I was so excited.

For several days there were sticks brought in and laid over the pipe, and then after a few days I woke up in the morning and the nest was built!

She hadn't been sitting on the eggs for all that long, Maybe a week or so. I rarely saw the father bird, while last time the papa was a regular visitor.

Then one day, sparrows kept landing on the drain. Mama Robin was still sitting on the nest. We would scare off sparrow birds that may have landed on the drain.

One day, When the robin was gone, my husband put his iPhone on a stick and checked the nest; it was empty!! no robins.

I'm pretty sure the eggs had hatched; I didn't think they had had enough time to fly out as the mama was still sitting on the nest the day before.

I heard sparrows are not great friends of robin nests. Did they scare the robin(s) away? Again, I don't know what happened.

I can only hope the robins survived.

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