Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: The robin families saga
As some of you know, I’ve hosted 2 robin families on my front porch so far this summer! When the first nest went up my husband wanted it taken down but mama robin was already sitting there. Those nests go up FAST!
She was pretty mouthy when we would come out on the porch to sit and to water plants but, I had a talk with her, my husband can attest to the fact that I spoke to her and the mister too, and I assured them we wouldn’t hurt them or their babies but they needed to understand that we would be sitting outside enjoying this space too.
So, after a couple of days, they adjusted and we have been entertained ever since. I will admit that after that first family, I took their nest down with the intention of no more robins.
Frankly mama or the babies had some poopy plops on the porch floor! Not 24 hours later, family number two had built another nest, this one slightly more creative. She had kind of a ‘70’s bead groove going on.
Anyway, my husband thought for a moment to take it down while she was out but the look on my face clearly said no. Well, our 2nd family also has 4 babies who are chirping and eating like crazy. Mama and papa robin are tag team feeding.
They’ll be gone soon, in fact, by the time you hear this, they may be gone. (They split on July 16th)
So as we sat on the porch in the century old wicker chairs, my husband says, I thought after this family we should not allow any more but I like them up there. If another family comes, let’s just let them be. I agree! A few robin facts, from egg to first flight out of the nest, it’s a little over a month. If they survive their first year, and that’s a big if, they’re adults and most live about 5 or 6 years, however one banded wild robin lived to be 13.
Read all about the robins journey at the link below: https://journeynorth.org/tm/robin/facts_life_cycle.html
Here’s a video I made waiting for the first one to take off.
I DID get to see one of them literally leave the nest but didn’t have my camera on me! I stepped out the door to water the plants and he flew to the lattice just as Mama Robin 2 was coming in with a huge worm! I think he was disappointed he didn’t wait another half minute!