Got a pic of the mama bird in the nest! But where are the chicks? We have a bird house hanging in one of the trees, and some wrens had chicks there. I think the chicks are gone, so why are the robins are taking so long? Here's what I was able to gather from a search on the web:
- Robin eggs hatch 12-14 days after the last egg is laid. Since we just had a third egg drop, we're looking at about 10-12 days for chicks.
- Chicks jump from the nest about 13 days after they hatch! Wow! So before the end of July, the nest should be empty. This is going to move fast! The mother bird apparently keeps feeding the chicks while they are on the ground.
- Another 10-15 days pass before chicks can fly. That struck me as very odd. Why would they leave the nest before they can fly? Seems like they'd be easy prey.
- Robins can lay more than one clutch of eggs per season, so we may have more babies before the summer is out.
Wish I knew exactly how many days since the first two eggs were laid. I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on things. Though I still avoid peeking out the window too much. One of the sites said a mother bird may abandon a nest if she thinks a predator has found it (and I'm sure seeing my big head sticking out a window from above might not be a welcome sight). She can also abandon a nest if it is moved in some way. On the other hand, the idea that birds abandon young that are touched by humans is a myth. Apparently birds have a poor sense of smell.
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