And the nest is empty

Reading about the American robin, “Turdus migratorius,” has been interesting, even fascinating at times.

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/robin.htm
• Robins mate in the spring from April through July.
• A female may have two or three broods a season.
• The female lays two to five light blue eggs.
• The female incubates the eggs for about two weeks.
• Once the chicks hatch, the male and the female feed and care for them.
• When they are about two weeks old, the chicks leave the nest for the first time.
• They will still beg for food from their parents as they nest under cover on the ground.
• They are able to fully fly about two weeks after leaving the nest.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/id » “The quintessential early bird, American Robins are common sights on lawns across North America, where you often see them tugging earthworms out of the ground. Robins are popular birds for their warm orange breast, cheery song, and early appearance at the end of winter. Though they’re familiar town and city birds, American Robins are at home in wilder areas, too, including mountain forests and Alaskan wilderness.”

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/lifehistory » “An American Robin can produce three successful broods in one year. On average, though, only 40 percent of nests successfully produce young. Only 25 percent of those fledged young survive to November. From that point on, about half of the robins alive in any year will make it to the next. Despite the fact that a lucky robin can live to be 14 years old, the entire population turns over on average every six years.

“Although robins are considered harbingers of spring, many American Robins spend the whole winter in their breeding range. But because they spend more time roosting in trees and less time in your yard, you're much less likely to see them. The number of robins present in the northern parts of the range varies each year with the local conditions.

“Robins eat a lot of fruit in fall and winter. When they eat honeysuckle berries exclusively, they sometimes become intoxicated.

“Robin roosts can be huge, sometimes including a quarter-million birds during winter. In summer, females sleep at their nests and males gather at roosts. As young robins become independent, they join the males. Female adults go to the roosts only after they have finished nesting.

“Robins eat different types of food depending on the time of day: more earthworms in the morning and more fruit later in the day. Because the robin forages largely on lawns, it is vulnerable to pesticide poisoning and can be an important indicator of chemical pollution.

“The oldest recorded American Robin was 13 years and 11 months old.”

1 year ago (“It’s come to this…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2016-05-17
2 years ago (“Our intrepid niece…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2015-05-17
3 years ago (“Blue-eyed grass at home”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-05-17
4 years ago (“Dressed for summer”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-05-17
5 years ago (“It was a 6-frame day and 3 were of a squirrel…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-05-17
6 years ago (“Japanese iris”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-05-17

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17th May 2017 17th May 17