The robin chicks fledged the nest in our garage on Sunday morning. It's all happened so fast - just around a month from the eggs being laid to the chicks flying and I'm so pleased I managed to get one grainy photo of the five of them before they departed. I also made a video of the adults taking wax worms to and from the nest last Saturday.
When I opened the garage back door to get the chicken food early on Sunday there was a tiny fluffball perched on the floor just inside. And when I looked in the nest there were still two chicks there but the other three had made the big jump, so I came straight back inside and made a 'No Entry' sign for the door. The door was kept shut as it was important that the chicks made their own way out once their wings were strong enough for them to fly through the open windows. Human access to the garage was strictly on an 'essentials only' basis, so did not include getting ice-creams from the freezer - I was not popular as it was so hot here! I checked this morning and it looks like they've all made it out, so for now we have our garage back, although Mrs Robin has been sighted carrying in new beak-fulls of moss so is obviously getting ready for a second brood - apparently they can have up to 4 broods in a year if the conditions are right.
I'm struggling to find the words to convey just how incredible and special the experience has been. Nest building, egg laying, chicks hatching and flying the nest to disappear out into the undergrowth of the big wide world - it has been a true privilege to watch it all happen and to be so trusted by the adult birds. The best moment for me was early on Sunday morning when the male flew down and perched on my big toe as I was sitting on the deck having coffee - quite an awesome moment.
Now I'm on magpie alert, we have a lot around here and their favourite food is small bird fledglings, chicks and eggs. I've got to know the alarm whistle that the adult robins make when there is a threat nearby and then go out to wave my arms around and be a human scarecrow - probably amusing any neighbours watching!
Thanks so much for your kind comments on my previous post - I am in the process of replying to them all and they've helped enormously - I am feeling a lot more upbeat. Hope you're having a good week where you are, see you again soon x