~News Alert!!! Another Robin Nest on my Balcony!

[Sage]

I don't know if the doves are nesting elsewhere after seeming to have claimed the wicker bookcase, but this morning robins were busy at work building their nest on the top, just where they nested before!

Last time it took almost two weeks to complete the nest because it was so very rainy and humid, the stages of the nest building did not dry. Although it has been very cold and wet here this spring too, yesterday was 85 and today 70.

Very smart of the birdies to nest where they will be protected from the weather.

I expect they will stop this afternoon to let what they've built so far dry and they Roger will go vacuum out there plus get anything from the storage closet we may need. This will likely mean no Balcony garden this year! Can you hear Roger crying about that? I can't!

for some unknown reason, WG's system is not allowing my photos right now. tried twice!

Robin nest '13 - YouTube

Robin nest '13 - YouTube

[Equilibrium]

My robin started sitting on the nest she built in the old bluebird nest box I pulled out of the ground and set up against a Hawthorn tree. Gimmie a minute and I'll try and find the photo I took of the cardinal's nest and the robin's nest AND THE HAWK's nest and see if I can get it added..... be back. It's a bad photo since it's been snowing on an off here today.

trying to add a photo. The nest up under the eave to the shed in the Kentucky Wisteria is the cardinal's nest. You can see the bluebird nest box still on the pole that I rested on the little Hawthorn tree and in the other Hawthorn tree just behind the 1 where the robin made her nest is a twig nest that's about 2.5' across that the hawk has been adding twigs to..... I'm sure she's planning on nesting there again this year.... why not.... she'll have fresh chicken and cardinal and robin snacks between meals.

[Sage]

You've got an aviary going on there! The robins have been chasing chickadees off the balcony and some cardinals too! They were after a little sprinkle of hulled sunflower seeds.
Oh yea! I got a pic uploaded! It took uninstalling Firefox, reinstalling Firefox and trying that. I usually use Chrome. Maybe I have to uninstall, reinstall that too?

This is how much the robins accomplished so far on their first day of nest-building!

[Equilibrium]

Chrome just doesn't seem to "play" nice with anything else. I know hava has a lotta problems with it. I tried it.... for all of a coupla days and my computer guy told me to get rid of it. No more problems figuring out why I can't do what I want to do anymore. It seems like toolbars are always more bother than they're worth.
--
I was surprised seeing the cardinal nesting that close to my greenhouse. They usually don't tolerate a hub of activity and I can tell you I go in and out of that greenhouse before work and after work and so far this week I've cranked the heat out there so I could start seedlings and I've been out there till way after dark so I'm really surprised she hasn't abandoned that nest and started a new 1. What really blows my mind is the proximity in which both that cardinal and the robin built their nests in relationship to the hawk's nest. It's hard to see from the photo but I'd say the robin's nest is about 12' away and the cardinal's nest is about 15' away. Didn't they look up before they picked their spots>>>?
--
Have you seen your doves lately?

[Sage]

Gudgreef! Has that ever happened before? I see smaller birds chase raptors! Kind of funny!

[Equilibrium]

I've got a robin nesting waaaaaaaaay up in the crook of a downspout rigth under the eaves of my 2+ story house.... again this year. She's been doing it for a few years running now.... robins aren't exactly discriminating in their nest site locations. The high winds come.... they knock down her nest.... she builds it again. Sometimes.... her babies get knocked out and let me tell you.... this is a taaaaaaall house. I've had to get an extension ladder to put her babies and her nest back before. Now.... I've been laying straw out underneath the nest because the 1st year they blew out.... they ended up dead. 1 year.... I used really long zip ties and tried anchoring her nest. That didn't work.
--
The cardinals don't usually nest this close to us. This is a 1st. I've definitely seen smaller birds chasing off crows and even my owls. I haven't ever seen em chasing off the cooper's hawk though. I watched last year when the robin nested there. She remained perfectly motionless even when I went in and out of the greenhouse which isn't normal.... usually they take off. Last year I didn't know the hawk's nest was there though until after leaf drop. The robin must have known. What I'd like to know is where all the juncos are nesting. There are an awful lot of juncos hanging around this year. I know where some of the red wing black bird nests are.... they're out in the wetlands. I think the chickadees are nesting in that ornamental birdhouse I've got out my back door again this year. I guess it's not so ornamental. I moved it away from the back door. We go in and out of those atrium doors all the time and it's too much of a disruption. I'm pretty sure I've got some kind of an owl in the old white oak way back. I can't tell what kind of an owl it is though since it's not showing up until well after dusk and it's too dark by then for me to tell. It's big though... much bigger than the screech owls I had here before but not as big as the Great Horned owl we used to have.

[Sage]

We were gone all day but took a quick shot of the progress on the nest when we got home about 6pm. And I was so ready to get the planters out for lettuce and tomatoes! Not much hope of a balcony garden now!

[Equilibrium]

You are gonna get some EXCELLENT photos of babies with that nest!!! It's gonna be a little late for lettuce but you'll still be able to have some tomatoes. Tomatoes don't go outside until right about the time her babies will fledge. All is not lost!!!

[sprucetree]

Stock up on some raisins too. Most Robins love them and they'll bond with the giver too!

Just don't expect them to eat out your hand

[Sage]

Ok, Lib, I'll remain hopeful on getting something this summer! And I intend to make sure we're home for the fledging too!

Sprucetree, raisins? I didn't know that! Thanks!

They haven't done anything more today, so we're wondering if they're waiting for the nest to get completely dry or if they're waiting for more rain (tomorrow) to get more mud.