Momma Robin's Month of May

May 2nd, 2006 at my home in south central Minnesota, I was out walking with my camera and noticed this Robin on her nest.  She stared at me and didn't move until I was a few feet from her.

Then I put on my macro lens to take a shot inside her nest.

One lone egg sat in a carefully constructed nest about five feet above ground in one of my pear trees.  On May 6th I came back to see what progress had been made.

Three gorgeous eggs!  I waited and refrained from irritating the mother Robin for more than a week.  On May 17th I got lucky enough to find the nest in mid-hatch, but only took two macro shots because I didn't want to upset the momma.

I snuck back on May 20th with my macro lens and took a few shots of the children while momma fussed about close by.

After downloading this pic I wanted to go back and try to get more than one of the babies with its mouth open, I waited one day and returned but they were sleeping so peacefully (and orderly) that I took a couple macro shots and got out of momma Robin's feathers.

May 23rd and you can already see the pin feathers developing on their wings.

May 25th and I decide I shouldn't risk upsetting the mother by getting close enough to use my macro. I stand just a few feet away and she lets me get a pic of her sitting on the kids.  I worry and wonder how many will be left in the nest.  Most of the time the strongest one or two push the others out when it gets crowded.

Happily I discover all three babies a little scrunched but still within the safety of the nest.

On May 29th I first see the momma Robin on a fence post near the pear tree.  I'm happy to see she's got a mouthful of food and anxiously go to see how many chicks are still safe.

With my zoom lens and a ladder I pull a couple branches to the side, there sit the babies, all three of them!  They already are getting some of their orange feathering. I'm very surprised all three have survived!

May 31st, on my way to the orchard I hear the familiar Robin's call and find momma with another mouthful of food.  I wonder how many trips she has had to make to have her children grown in such a short period of time.  The nest is empty but a young Robing flies into the apricot tree and looks at me.  Its feathering is not yet mature, and it waits for its mother to bring food. I smile and take one last picture of momma Robins kid.