bird watching Archives - Hope Reflected

Wednesday

18

April 2018

Tips for helping robins

Written by H, Posted in Gardening

I think we all understand that it’s no longer winter, but seeing as we’re experiencing one last (we hope) blast of winter before spring sets in, today I’m sharing some tips for helping robins. You’ve likely noticed all the robins flitting about in your yard, along the sides of road ways, and in the streets.

Here are some suggestions and tips for helping robins in winter (or in this unseasonable stormy and cold spring):

It’s a misconception that robins only eat worms. Robins also enjoy various types of berries, and they’ll even eat cracked corn. If you have robins in your yard, set out some berries to help the little guys get through this cold spell: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, raisins, and even apple chunks are favourites.
Fresh water. You may think that we’ve got enough precipitation, however even in these cold and freezing temperatures, it’s important for robins (and other birds) to stay hydrated and have a fresh source of water for keeping clean.
Ground to forage. This one is tough, especially with that layer of ice that seems to be covering everything, however if you’re able to clear a spot on the ground, robins are creatures who love to forage. You’ve likely noticed them along the sides of your house, or in any place where there’s a clearing (like on the sides of highways and streets).
Don’t panic. We have this notion that robins can’t survive cold temperatures or that since they’ve migrated north after all winter that they’re not accustomed to or can’t handle winter weather. They can! But that doesn’t mean we can’t help them out.

For more information about robins, visit Living With Wildlife.

Tuesday

2

May 2017

Hope’s How-To: The Robins Are Back

Written by H, Posted in Gardening

If you were following along on the blog last year, you read all about the family of robins that nested on the nesting shelf that Wes built me. Well friends, the robins are back! Wes and I were so excited to see on Saturday night that the robins have officially built their nest on our nesting shelf, and we are so looking forward to seeing another robin family grow and take flight right in our own yard.

A bit of back story for you: At the beginning of April, I noticed that there were some twigs on our nesting shelf. I knew these had to be recent, as after our robin family flew the coup last year, Wes and I disposed of the old nest and sprayed down the nesting shelf. I noticed one day that there were grackles up on top of the shelf. Concerned, and thinking that perhaps it was grackles and not robins using our shelf, I cleared off the shelf once again.

Three full weeks passed, and I waited patiently for the robins to nest. Nothing. Then, last week, I asked Wes to spray off the shelf again (lest the scent of the grackles was deterring a robin family from nesting). He did, and what do you know — we checked on Saturday night and in a span of less than 8 hours — the robins had built a whole nest!

While it’s certainly not as neat as last year’s nest, it would appear that the robins are here to stay for the season. If you’re looking for ways to attract robins in your own yard, you should note that robins love blueberries (any berries, really). Also, if you’ve got a lawn that is more moist than dry (worms love moisture), you’re more likely to attract robins to your yard.

So far, it appears that our robins are making themselves at home. The robins have been busy around our yard, searching for worms, mating (I think?), and preparing to lay their eggs.

Stay tuned for more photos as the season moves along. We are excited once again to be sharing the journey of the robin’s nesting shelf and robin family with you!

For more on last year’s robins, click here.

Tuesday

14

March 2017

Outdoor Living | Birds of Winter

Written by H, Posted in Gardening

While it’s no secret that Wes and I love birds (you’ll recall that last Spring we welcomed a family of robins to our patio) this winter we’ve had some issues attracting more feathered friends to our yard.

At first we thought maybe it was the feed, then we thought perhaps it could be our timing (we waited until well into December before we set up our winter feeders), and then we discovered it was really just the bird feeder placement.

We’ve got three bird feeders:

A tube feeder (metal, enclosed hanging feeder that feeds seed out at ports with perches) which is store-bought,
A suet feeder (metal/wood construction with spots to hold two suet cakes),
Our favourite is featured in today’s post. A handmade cedar tray feeder which we bought from one of our neighbours (he constructs them as a hobby).

We started our cedar tray bird feeder out on one of our stone benches, but found the only creatures it attracted were squirrels. Last weekend, Wes relocated the tray feeder so it now hangs outside one of our kitchen windows, and after repositioning the bird feeder to eye level, voila! We’ve got birds, people!

Likely a combination of the location of the feeder, as well as its proximity to the fence, our cedars, and our Japanese maple tree, we have a real community of birds visiting our bird feeder once again.

I’ve yet to capture some decent images, so for now you’ll have to enjoy these quick snaps. In the past few days, we’ve enjoyed watching cardinals (both male and female), dark-eyed juncos, slate-coloured juncos (according to our bird book, the slate-coloured junco is a rare variety), as well as house sparrows. (Wes is somewhat concerned with the territorial nature of the house sparrows, as they have been known to extremely aggressive against other birds.)

What birds are frequenting your feeder this winter?

Wednesday

27

April 2016

Hope’s How-To: Build A Robin’s Nest – Part 2 – The Robin’s Eggs

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Gardening, Hope's How-To

Robin’s nest update for you all: The robin has laid two — count it, TWO — eggs! Yes, that’s right! Robin’s eggs! Yesterday afternoon, I noted whilst driving away from the house that the mama robin was in the nest. Sure enough, last night when we checked, you can imagine my delight upon the discovery of two beautiful robin’s egg blue robin’s eggs.

My initial exclamation was something about how exciting this promise of new life is; Wes’s initial exclamation was about the future of the robin species. The robin deciding to lay her eggs is a beautiful example of a delicate, fragile new beginning, right on our porch. Whatever way you choose to look at it, we are absolutely thrilled with the prospect of two baby robins starting their lives and learning the ropes from the comfort of our porch.

We are being careful not to be disruptive while the mama robin incubates and raises her young [although I have to say in hindsight I wish we’d set up a time lapse camera to capture all the action; note to self for next year].

Here are some fascinating facts about robins and their eggs:

The incubation period for a robin’s egg is 12 to 14 days.
The female robin typically does the incubating, rarely leaving her eggs for more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
After birth, baby robins spend an average of 9 to 16 days in the nest.

Stay tuned for more action as we keep an eye on the mama robin and her young. Anyone else have robins planting roots in their yard this year?

bird watching Archive

18

Tips for helping robins

2

Hope’s How-To: The Robins Are Back

14

Outdoor Living | Birds of Winter

27

Hope’s How-To: Build A Robin’s Nest – Part 2 – The Robin’s Eggs

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