nest building
Some closer looks at the robin’s nest which was shown here a little while ago. Birds are such amazing builders, wouldn’t you agree?
September 12, 2014 in Nature, Photoworks by Marja-Leena
by Marja-Leena Marja-Leena Rathje
on printworks and other passions
by Marja-Leena
They work hard and well these Robin females. I suppose their instinct indicates where to build not to be too exposed to high wind and hot sun
Ellena, birds have great intelligence! Even the male has a big role in the nest building by guarding the female. I’m not sure if male robins also help build the nest like certain other types of birds do.
Yes, it is pretty amazing. When you only have one chance
per season you have a lot of incentive to do it right.
Susan, they work very hard to do so in spite of the hazards from predators like hawks.
So many wonderful nature shots in your last posts. This nest is very beautiful in colour and texture, I like the first picture with the out of focus eggs. We had some finches years ago that insisted on trying to build in an exposed spot in a tiny conifer right in front of the house where we passed often. They seemed terribly anxious about it, then the weather turned windy and they just gave up! I hope they found a more satisfactory place.
Thank you, Lucy! Your finches remind me of some swallows that built a nest in the carport of our previosu home, right in the middle above where our vehicle would park. Imagine the mess on the roof. But they would put on this wonderful airshow for us whenever we were out on the deck above it so we forgave them.
However by the next spring the carport had been closed in to make a garage. The returning swallows would slip in when the door was open to start a new nest and we would very sadly brush it away so they wouldn’t be trapped in. So they moved to the overhead light fixture in the front door entryway, even less desirable a location! Again, we’d keep brushing it away. So cruel of us, it was so sad.
There’s something to be said for a nest that isn’t built from stone and mortar, along with its necessary upkeep.
Tom, true, yet so fragile to the elements, predators and selfish homeowners (see previous comment)!
I have just been reading an article about the work of Anselm Kiefer (there is about to be an exhibition in London), and your photographs fit right in to the mood of my visual meanderings. I love that flowerhead that has been added – was it forward planning: seeds just a beak-stretch away? Anthropomorphic fantasy I think!
Olga, I’m quite envious that the Kiefer exhibition is coming near you – wish I could come and see it! I may have mentioned we’d seen one of his shows in Germany over a decade ago.
The flowerhead? Do you mean that bulge, or is it something else I don’t recognize?
By the way, I safely brought this little nest home and it rests on a windowsill in the solarium.
Yes, I do mean the lump on the left of the third photo down – and there is something lump-like at the bottom centre of the first photo. Probably all twiggy and leaf litter and not seed heads at all.
Olga, thanks for coming back and confirming that lump is a flowerhead, for I did wonder what that was. And I do see a flowerhead in the first photo now that you pointed that out. Why shouldn’t birds love flowers, really?
I remember Robins. My father-in-law had built a bird bath in front lawn, where you can watch the birds year around (Portland rarely had hard frost).
But I heard that they have lessened a lot lately over there. And been replaced some other species. Stories of species changing their habitats are coming increasingly common.
Strangest thing what we’re witnessing here is lessening of sparrows. They don’t find enough of food in the cities anymore. And/or there’s so much of plastics and other bad things around, that they die for the people’s reckless garbage.
I’m very happy to read that Robins are over there yet! They were so very beautiful.
Ripsa, I agree the bird numbers seem to be lessening. We rarely see robins in our neighbourhood in Vancouver. They were abundant spring harbingers in Winnipeg where we grew up. Cities are too big and unsafe and there is less food and that often contaminated.
I’m sad to say that here in the city, I rarely see a bird’s nest. I can only hope they are well hidden and thus protected. Your images are beautiful!
Thanks, dear R. Oh, I don’t often see bird’s nest in the city either, except eagle’s nest high up. I think they are well hidden for we do see young crows, jays and others every spring. This robin’s nest had fallen in our daughter’s garden in the countryside.
Indeed they are. The chicken next door is sitting on her eggs right now and is very conscientious about her job. Actually, in the latest shot of the lava I took from the flow happening now on the Big Island,it looks like a big egg hovering over Hilo Town.This is another act of creation.
The Creator creates and also destroys.
Speaking of chickens, I hope to write soon about the chickens and chicken house our daughter is working on and which we visited last week!