Wednesday, May 31, 2017

ROBINS....WATCHING THE BIRTH


















Yes, I feel like a mid-wife.
For 3 days, I've waited, and watched, and waited and watched.
And in my spare time, I've learned about ROBINS!
This site is fabulous----> AMERICAN ROBIN .
I read, and took photos.....LOTS of photos!
(and I deleted unfocused photos. MANY!)
Things that I never knew.......
Things that I took for granted.......
Things that I learned about my camera (HA)......
This learning extravaganza started last week, while I was hanging stringed lights on our backyard patio.
Climbing the ladder, I noticed the nest.
I gasped.
Where was the mother?
Are the eggs OK?
How long have they been here?
When will they hatch?
I had my cell phone attached to me, so I grabbed a quick photo.
*Note the color*
"Robin-egg blue"
'The eggshell color comes from pigments in the mother's blood. Hemoglobin from ruptured blood cells is transformed into "bile pigments," which are carried by the robin's blood to where the eggshell forms.'


A purple-plum tree planted outside a bedroom window, provided a safe haven for the Robin to build her nest. This process took 2-6 days. The nest is made of over 350 dried fibers of grass and small twigs.
Setting up the camera, and tripod, taking out the screen, focusing on the nest were the easy steps.
WAITING was the difficult part for me!
Momma was getting her eggs ready to hatch!















It wouldn't be long now!
The first baby hatches 12-14 days after the last egg is laid (this is called the incubation).
Eggs usually hatch a day apart, in the order they were laid.
Hatching can take all day!!!!!(No wonder I was tired)


















Immediately after the chick is born, the momma bird  regurgitates partly digested food into the baby's mouth. Not until about day 5 do the nestlings get earthworms. Both parents feed the babies, making 100 feeding visits to its nest each day.


































WOW. That's all I can say! I was at the right place at the right time to see this little miracle, through my camera. (It helped to have my camera set to 'high-speed-continuous-shoot' and a handheld 'external remote'.)
Both parents have full-time jobs. They protect the nest, find food, and feed hungry babies, that are in the nest for at least 9 days. And yes, they plop right down on the nest, keeping the newborn warm and continuing the incubation process for the eggs that have not hatched!


















DAY 2 was the same as DAY 1, except the nest has become a bit more crowded.



















DAY 3
I cannot tell from my standing point (inside the house) if there is still a third egg ready to be hatched.
Mom and Dad Robin were busy, flying back and forth feeding, incubating, protecting. The nest is not used as a bed at night for the parents. They usually perch on a limb close by. Today's research included trying to tell a Male Robin from a Female Robin. Here is a link that may clarify some confusion-----> How to Tell a Male Robin from a Female Robin . I recommend this link!

















DAY 5 (June 4, 2017)
One of the baby robins had grown and is now eating worms. There is at least one more baby in the nest, not quite ready to show his/her face.

























DAY 9 (June 8, 2017)
Today I observe one baby bird.


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