Robin Update, 5-7-11

      Lou had said that his robin laid her first egg on Good Friday, two weeks ago yesterday.  So I was hoping to see some babies on my visit to the park today.  The Momma was sitting on her nest, and was unusually brave in staying on the eggs.  I didn't want to force her off the nest, as I suspected her bravery might indicate little birdies.

Momma Lou Robin, 5-7-11

I visited the other nesting site by the tool keeping enclosure.  That Momma flew away quickly to reveal her four eggs still on the nest.  After chatting a few minutes with another gardener, I drove off to my plot, and noticed Lou's robin had left her nest.  Sidled over for a peek.

Two babies, 5-7-11

      Now baby animals are supposed to be cute.  Not these babies.  Major league ugly.  Only a Momma robin could love these little chickies.  They were skinny, and not covered by many feathers.  Only by slight movement was I assured that they were alive.  But alive they were, and Lou is now batting two out of four.  I am sure that in a couple of days, they will be cute, as they extend their little heads out of the nest and demand to be fed.
      I noticed only after looking at this post that one of the eggs above is soon to hatch.  If I double click on the photo, it will enlarge.  The egg on the left has a hole where the soon to be chick is trying to emerge.  How cool is that?
      My robin was a few days behind Lou's bird in building a nest and starting the family process.  So I was not surprised to find eggs instead of chicks.  The eggs are a little cleaner than a few days ago when they were quite muddy after a couple of days of rain.  But Momma was still none to happy with my relatively short visit to the park.

Still waiting, 5-7-11

      One egg that was probably the second one laid, has a white imperfection in the blue coloring.  Maybe that one was laid on Easter Sunday.  Any day now..