Is the nest half empty, or half full?

So what did Kris see when she came home from work this afternoon but one of the baby robins, sitting on the edge of the nest and looking for all the world like he was surveying his kingdom.



Though she was being as quiet as possible and using the telephoto function on the camera to keep from getting too close, the baby got a little spooked and fluttered down to the patio. He hopped over to the side, trying to take shelter near the fence and the rosebush.

He didn't make a sound, but Mama knew where he was the whole time, and was watching from the top of the fence.

Within a few moments, the baby had hopped along the fence and found a nice spot under some bushes.
Dean came home shortly after that, and Kris took him outside to get a peek at the baby. We talked about whether or not we should try to put him back in the nest; what if a roaming cat or something came into the yard tonight and found him a tasty treat? So Dean picked the baby up (it doesn't hurt them and won't make the parent birds stop taking care of them) and started back over to the patio table to put him back in the umbrella nest; but when Kris got too close, the baby got spooked again and squawked and flapped until Dean let him go. He flew a little way away and landed in the yard, and at that point Mama stopped watching and went into full-on protective mode, dive bombing us, squawking and flying back and forth and overhead, and generally threatening us until baby had hopped to the other side of the yard and to the safety of the fence. We decided at that point that Mama was on the job and will do her best to see that nothing happens to her baby, and so we left them alone. Here's hoping the neighbor's roaming cat stays indoors tonight.

On the way back into the house, we checked out the other baby in the nest. He's quite comfortable, thank you very much, and sees no reason to do anything rash like trying to leave his home just yet.


We could very easily have just come home today to find the nest empty and the babies gone; how lucky were we to be able to witness the moment the baby left the nest, and to see Mama's protective instincts up close and personal? The baby's survival is up to luck and nature now, and we wish him the best.