The New Birder Experience is all about observing and learning about birds. As fun as it is to build up a large list of birds on a hike, I’ve found that it is much more fun for both Stacia and I when we just plain watch birds being birds.
Over the last couple of weeks Stacia has discovered several American Robin nests, packed with crazy cute babies begging for food. One nest had newly hatched birds that inexplicably vanished overnight. There was no sign of struggle and we are unsure what happened.
However, she quickly discovered a second nest by her house that also had small babies.
Each nest had three babies (which meets the average 3-5 eggs of robin nests). According to All About Birds, the young will be able to leave the nest after 13 days. Only 40% of nests successfully produce fledglings and only 25% of these will survive until November. [Read more about the American Robin’s life history.]
These robin babies were found nesting in a picnic table umbrella at Stacia’s workplace around May 18th and are now gone.
American Robins are abundant but their commonness makes them easy to observe. These observations can easily lead to further investigations into bird behavior of other birds and an increased general interest in all wildlife. Never underestimate the power of the common to enhance the new birder experience.
Beautiful images of “new” life!
Sadly, we had a pair of Robins build a nest just two feet off the ground. A Red Fox made sure that they paid for their mistake.
I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. About a week ago I watched a baby Robin make it’s first flight way too early in it’s life. It was chased out of it’s nest by a Black Billed Magpie. The Magpie actually knocked it out of the air, quickly killed it on the ground with a few pecks to the head and proceeded to eat it. A male Robin harassed the Magpie throughout the ordeal and continued to chase it as it flew away with the rest of the carcass.
Magpie as raptor, who knew?
Al – what an observation! I’m not too surprised as magpies are tough birds and opportunistic (much like grackles).
I’m just getting started myself, love taking pics of birds too. Could just sit in woods myself,fighting skeeters, just to see something I’ve never saw. Love hummmingbirds,woodpeckers, and all. Something new to relax me!
Has anyone had an experience with a bird acting very friendly? My wife and I had this experience the other day on our back deck. A small bird mostly light gray with a pale yellow underside was acting very friendly. For about 20 minutes this bird was moving around our deck while I was sitting in a chair watching. It would perch on the rails and other chairs and tables on the deck. At one point it was perched on a small table across from me and my feet were extended out in front of me and it flew to and perched on the toe of my shoe. It stood there for about a minute as I talked and tried to lure it my finger on the had reset. It flew to the end of the hand rest and tried to touch my hand and it startled me and it flew across and perched on the rail again. Then my wife came out and she approached the bird and held out her hand and arm and if flew over and touched her hand with its beak. We continued to watch for several minutes as this bird continued to hang around, then it flew to the ground and another bird seemed to dive at it and they flew in circles for a few seconds appearing to be fighting and then they flew off in different directions.
This was a strange but cool experience that we will remember the rest of our lives.
I wish we would have thought to take a few pictures.
Kevin (Marietta, Georgia)
Kevin – Thanks for sharing this interesting anecdote. Was the bird a chickadee? I would say they and nuthatches are some of the most inquisitive birds I’ve come across. Also, hummingbirds seem to be oblivious to human activity when you are in the path of a feeder or flower patch.