Empty Nesters

In just the matter of one month, we've become empty nesters! At the beginning of May a female robin started building a nest in my wreath on the front door. I can't say she was the smartest of robins since my wreaths only kinda balance on a magnet on the front door but I was excited at the prospect of seeing baby birds up so close and thought maybe we would get lucky and it wouldn't fall down, etc. 

We had three perfectly blue eggs. 

It wasn't too long until they hatched...

And we had three baby birds! Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly. The wreath hadn't fallen down and everyone seemed happy and healthy. Mom even seemed to be getting used to us passing by the front door and didn't freak out and fly away every time she saw movement inside. 

Then one afternoon Nathan came home from work and told me my wreath had fallen down :(. Mom robin was freaking out and all three babies of course had fallen out onto my porch. I picked up the nest and put it in my window box. I wasn't sure if she would return and take care of the babies. The next morning I wasn't sure if she had fed them so I decided to move the nest again into one of the bushes in the front yard. I did see her feed them but it wasn't the most secure spot for a nest. I went out later in the afternoon again to check on the nest and it had flipped over. I had to fish the three babies out from the middle of the bush. I decided to move the nest back to the window box. Luckily, mom continued to feed them. 

Sunday morning I was doing laundry and was rounding the staircase inside when I saw a large bird land on the window box. It took me a second to realize what kind it was and what it was there for. It was a large red tailed hawk....it looked at me through the window, looked down at the nest and then grabbed one of the baby birds from the nest with it's talons. I threw down my laundry basket and yelled and rushed to open the door. It flew out into the lawn and landed....I yelled for Nathan and all the birds in the yard were freaking out. Nathan and I were amazed at how large the hawk was up close. I went outside and shooed it out of the yard. And we were left with two baby birds :( 

I was really afraid the hawk would return since it had such easy pickings. But I'm happy to report that both baby birds left the nest yesterday! 

I could see them both hopping around the yard with Mom and Dad. 

Whew! What an exhausting month of worrying about baby birds! I have since moved the nest to the tree out front. I have no idea if they will still use it or not...but at least I'm off the hook babysitting baby birds!!