Happy Women's Day
to all the wonderful ladies out there! I don’t know what the world would be like without women, and I am happy to be one myself. The weather is murky today, but here are some Robin photos to brighten the mood. Female Robins have a lighter head cap, more grey than black, whereas the males darker head colors are black. I think this one here is a male. The Robins have steadily started to reclaim their territory here, and it is awesome to hear their song echo across the yard in the evenings and mornings. Have a lovely day and weekend!
Nesting news: All tucked in
The bird moms are ready for the night. The Robin baby is doing fine, and both Chickadee and Bluebird are still incubating. I love watching them in the evenings, they certainly do look cozy. And with so many birds nesting, feeder activity has slowed down a bit. Which is nice for the bird food budget.
Video: Hatch day for the Robins!
The Robins started hatching today! Mom and Dad share feeding and diaper duties, and they are such fresh parents that they still seem to be unsure how to do it. You can see Dad bringing some food and Mom wanting to feed it to the baby but then letting him do it when he seemingly insists. She's eating the diaper instead. You can watch this cam live here in my livestream section and on my Birdsy channel.
The Robins
have multiplied in the last couple of days, and they found out that there are mealworms on the menu here. Now they compete with everybody else whenever a worm is available outside the cage feeder for the BBs. In the evenings, they are still strutting about, and since the day traffic is gone then, I throw them a handful as a good night snack. I love the details in their faces.
Today when I went outside,
it sounded like spring, there were Robin calls, Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cardinals and Starlings. There is a place nearby that has a mature Cedar tree, and I have checked it a couple of weeks ago to see how far the berries were, and I went there today again. The tree was basically covered in happy Robins, and it also had some Cedar Waxwings sprinkled in. I will go back to try and get some Waxwing goodness. Here is a photo of the teen Cardinal too, he posed just outside my window today, and a Whitecrowned Sparrow was at the bath!
Robins are the state bird of Michigan,
but they do migrate too, even if just within the state. I love Robins because they are a lot of fun to watch and listen to but also because they remind me a lot of a European bird I love, the Eurasian Blackbird. American Robins look basically like them but have a lot more color going on. I did not see any for a while but right now, a group is visiting, exploring the feeders, searching the lawn and taking baths.
Videos: late summer life at the community pool
There is still not a lot happening at the moment so I am thankful even for little scenes.
I love Nasturtium and this year, it grows like crazy all over the yard (but also in a fenced-off section in my veggie garden). I often gather some for salads or just to eat plain. It has a peppery flavor. I am surprised to see that the groundhog likes it too, but it also looks like it has to take a big sip right after 😜 Once again, I know they are destructive but they just crack me up.
Happy Friday!
Robins are some of the best bathers around, and I thought it was so funny how these two made way for the young Flicker. I never see Flickers at my feeders so I always love it when they pop up at the bath.
The Robins
are having more than one brood per season, and since I have seen them gathering more nesting material, I put up the little bowl with mud and leaves and grass up again to help them out a bit. This one apparently took a good portion, and then came straight to the feeder. Happy Friday!
Now with birds feeding babies,
I often see them coming to the feeders with natural food, mainly bugs from the garden. I always find it interesting to see what they find. This Robin looks to have a caterpillar, and I am wondering what kind it is. One of the dreaded Gypsy Moths?
(This Robin has a skin condition that shows on his legs. He has been coming for years and it does not seem to affect him, in case anyone is wondering.)
Things have slowed down
quite a bit right now because everybody seems to be nesting. Some are already done with the first batch, like the Bluebirds, and today I also heard the haunting voices of young Starlings and then eventually also saw one popping up at the bird bath. The smaller amount of visitors made me feel more easy about going out to plant my veggie garden. It was a hot day, and everybody wanted to go to the bird bath badly. The Robins did not care about me being out and about and enjoyed the relatively empty feeding stations. Dr. Clara is pretty much done with her nest, and I expect her to start laying eggs any day now. The one oddball thing right now is there are no Hummingbirds around. After having had a pretty good start of the season with them about ten days ago, none have showed up again. Same for the Catbird. I know that migration is still going on, so I hope to see some more new visitors soon.
When you put out grape jelly,
it’s not just the Orioles who go for it. Many birds seem to have a sweet tooth, amongst them House Finches, Grosbeaks, Woodpeckers and these guys - American Robins. For a short time today, the sun came out, and I am happy it was when the Michigan state bird was there for portrait time. When I first saw Robins, I thought they were interesting, but in close-ups they reveal all these really cool details like eyebrows, rictal bristles, eyerings and throat feathers. I personally also love their song. I am always happy to have them around.
Video: Home improvement for the Robins
Robins use mud to fortify their nests. I have seen them starting to build the other day and thought it would be fun to make a little mud pit for them. It has been dry for a bit so they seemed to appreciate it. I mixed soil and water with some small roots and dried leaves.
Spring rain
and mild temperatures have started to wake up the garden. Everywhere you look, tiny soft green is finding its way to the surface, and the air is full of promise. I have started some of my veggie seeds and was daring enough to put radish and beet seeds into the ground (while crossing my fingers for no more deep frost). The Robins are enjoying that the ground is more workable for worms, and they are looking for nest sites. In between, they never say no to a good bath. And then proudly come to see if there are any snacks.
The Robins have returned,
there are several around, and some of them have figured out that there are mealworms in the feeders sometimes. Which is great because it allows to study their interesting features. The “mustache” is not really that, it’s something called rictal bristles. Nobody is really sure what they are for, but they seem to have some kind of sensory function.
With the arrival
of the first migratory birds, tensions are also on the rise. The Robin has discovered the mealworms, and will fiercely defend his right to eat.
Videos: More good signs of spring
I have heard and seen them for a couple of days now, but they hadn’t made it to the cams yet. But this morning, a Robin finally checked out the bird bath. The bath is quite nasty looking from what must have been a critter party last night and it has been cleaned now.
The other sign of spring is the first recorded Grackle puff of 2021. “It’s here,” he shouts!
Have a great Saturday!
The end of summer
is always bittersweet, but for the birdwatcher it is also an exciting time because there are young birds all over the place. It is very entertaining to watch them explore the world, lead by their parents. The August in my calendar shows a parent American Robin and his adorably proud youngster. They are the state bird of Michigan, even if they migrate more south in the cold season, and I always eagerly await their arrival.
You can get an Ostdrossel calendar here at ostdrossel.com or here.
Video: vocal morning visitor
This American Robin had quite a lot to say at 7 am :) Robins usually leave my area during the winter months, which is funny because they are the state bird of Michigan. I always kind of hope one stays.
Video: Robin eating pokeberry
I found this huge pokeberry plant in my yard, and thought maybe it could be a chance to get some Cedar Waxwing videos. I haven’t seen any so far, but today, a Robin came to check the berries out. I never really thought about how they get to them but I wouldn’t have thought they jumped! (Footage is not perfect, I still need to figure out the best angle etc. but I thought it would be fun to share.)
Nothing much going on
except for Blue Jays and Mourning Doves these days, so this Robin was a lovely surprise. In some parts of Michigan, they stay during the winter, but where I live, they leave and come back in spring.