A couple of years ago a bird hatched three eggs in a nest just outside my shop window. A few months after they left a storm took out the nest. This spring a red-breasted robin built a new nest in the same location, so I get to see the process again this year.

4/29/22

4/30/22

5/3/22

After being away from the shop for a couple days.

5/3/22

The worst part is that whenever I walk into the this part of the shop the mother gets freaked out and will flee the next for the nearby tree if I get close enough to the window/look at her long/make any other sort of move that she considers threatening, head feathers ruffled and chirping frantically the whole time. If the experience two years ago is any indication she will become less jumpy as time goes by and she gets more accustomed to seeing me. But it's pretty rough going for her at first.

5/5/22

I don't know whether birds (especially mothers who are sitting on eggs) sleep, as such, but this was the first time I was able to walk into the room without her noticing me. As I had hoped, she no longer freaks out when she sees me, and is increasingly tolerant of my presence as long as I don't get too close or stare her down. But she always notices me. Unless she's sleeping.

5/9/22

I snuck a close-up peek today when momma had left the nest (to eat? for some R&R? for some exercise?). It looks like 4 is the final number. And they seem to be doing well.

5/10/22

Alas, tragedy has visited the nest.

5/12/22

A visitor this morning. Dad, perhaps? Bringing mom some breakfast? I'm eager to see what's going on in the nest.

5/13/22

I really didn't want to scare mom off to take a peek in the nest, but she obliged me this morning when I walked in by flying away.

5/13/22

Momma has cleaned up the carnage of a few days ago and one fuzzy critter has emerged. See video below for an action shot.

5/14/22

Looks like the second one may have just hatched today. See video below.

5/14/22

And already ready to eat.

5/16/22

She was a little skittish at one point when I walked in today. So I had to get a bit more sophisticated in my methods. See video below.

5/17/22

The little one snores.

See video below.

5/18/22

The big one is really getting darker.

See videos below.

5/21/22

See videos below.

5/22/22

The feathers are really coming in.

5/23/22

And the nest is getting smaller.

5/24/22

See video below.

5/25/22

Stretching.

See video below.

5/26/22

Well, it's a big day in the nest - there's only one left.

See video below.

5/26/22 (evening)

The last sighting?

5/27/22

Yup - gone.

13 days from laid to hatched, another 13 days from hatched to fledged.

5/13/22

5/14/22

5/16/22

Lunch time.

5/17/22

The mid-morning feeding routine.

5/18/22

I guess that answers my lingering question about housekeeping.

5/18/22

A little twin time.

5/20/22

Mom clears out and makes room for a delivery from dad. This the first day I've seen open eyes - seven days after the first one hatched.

5/21/22

Things are getting a little cramped in the nest.

5/22/22

Just a lazy Sunday afternoon.

5/23/22

Dad delivers a snack and handles cleanup duties. Near the end you can see junior spread his wings.

5/24/22

The kids are a bit restless this morning.

5/25/22

I normally edit video down to the most interesting clip and just post that, but there's so much going on today that I'm just going to post the raw footage. The older one is learning how to perch and getting lots of practice in, even if he's unstable at times. And there's lots of grooming going on, including some dog-like scratching a couple of times. I think the days of momma sitting on the nest for hours at a time are probably done.