We have some exciting news to share: Mrs. Robin has returned to the nest, and she has decided to give motherhood another try. Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Robin home!!
In the weeks since Mrs. Robin’s departure, Bill and I frequently spotted her sitting in our front yard. We waited patiently, checking the nest every day, and hoping to see some signs of activity. Our first glimmer of hope came this past Sunday, when we discovered that someone (presumably Mrs. Robin) had deposited some dried grass on a small ledge a few feet above the nest. When we inspected the nest, we noticed that a few clumps of grass were out of place. Apparently Mrs. Robin had begun doing some home improvement work.
Then on Tuesday, I returned from an early morning run and saw Mrs. Robin sitting in our front yard with a large clump of dried grass in her beak. I waited around for a few minutes – trying to keep a respectful distance – and then I saw Mrs. Robin carry the dried grass back to her nest. I went inside and watched via the webcam as Mrs. Robin continued her renovation work. She spent about 20 minutes scooting her little bottom around the nest and getting all of the grass packed down. Here’s a time lapse series of Mrs. Robin at work:
When I returned home from work today, I was delighted to discover a single blue egg in the nest:
That’s right – Mrs. Robin is once again with child(ren)!! From the time that Mrs. Robin left her last clutch, it only took her 16 days to get started on her next clutch. So, it appears that Mrs. Robin has, um, a rather active dating life. We haven’t been able to ascertain whether it’s the same father or a new love interest. But we’re not here to judge.
Bill reviewed the Robincam footage this evening, and Mrs. Robin appeared to be chirping (screaming?) quite loudly as she laid her egg. Poor thing – it must be quite unpleasant to give birth to such a large egg without an epidural. Perhaps we should try to teach her some Lamaze techniques. Here is the time lapse video of the day the first egg was laid:
We will keep you posted on Mrs. Robin’s progress.
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