Date: 04/16/2007

Number: 1

April 16
I have visual access to a new robin's nest. I have seen several times the couple parents. It's burrowed it's nest about 8-9 foot in a hidden area in a fork of a broken tree (but local vines hide it.) I can inspect the nest with a cornering mirror. I will attach a camera. Right now on 04/25/07 my robin's nest sighting has 3 eggs and the time of all sights are at (in the nest) 1035 am cst local to the location.

April 23
Found red beasted female robin laying first egg. Great observation point available but we are a business so the robins are frightful. (three eggs are now in nest in view with an extension mirror).

April 25
Robin's nest occupied by female with three of the distincive blue eggs found. May be one more egg to come! This Robin family picked a planned spot so carefully on a fork of a tree cut by power company. It has little to worry about predators. The fork is surrounded by vines making as nice hiding spot in a very firm bough for their nest. Yet, thankfully, this fork of the tree is about 8 feet (2 m) and visual activty of the nest is possible.

April 26
As of today noon April 26, 2007 the fourth egg is now present in robins nest. Found female roosting this after noon at 4pm. I believe incubation has begun. My research confirms the repoduction cycle as reported is consistent with the Red Breasted Robin. Each egg was layed in mid morning. The eggs appear to be shifted visually; The local weather is heavy rains every other week and lows 50'sf and high near 70 on average but temps range from 50 to 80 here in OKC. Sure would be great if the eggs are fertile. Sigh... I might of spooked the male accidently; I sure do not want to disturb this fantastic chance to see nature in it's living form.
Yep these birds are smart. On my first sighting (Monday 16th) caught sight of the male with a worm to woo his bride ... so cool .. He had yellow rings around the eyes and a beak full of plumage and a worm. But I have not seen him lately per the usual.

My first attempent to photograph was doomed by heavy rain but I managed to eek out this photo through the rain.I was shaking standing on a plastic bucket ... here they are but one. Robins nest with four eggs.

May 1
I find Mrs. Robin consistently in this time
table:


1000 cst. Beak is pointing north and the bird is very still. A person may
approach with in 1 meter but then she takes off with an alarm call of which I
would like to record audibly.

1100. She was on her rim (One chance observation 043007: Suspect rotating the eggs; but, I am unable to confirm her exact motions.)

1230. Beak north again. (All observations are through vine overcoat where I stand
about 2 meters east.) I do not want to disturb this chance.


1440. Nest evacuated without any disturbance. Found that either rim
collapsing or bulging of the nest make view of eggs hindered as she is working
this nest. I am sure she is now feeding!

1530. Beak now due west. I was wondering how come she sets in a different position in the evenings. She is not disturbed by traffic in our closing shop and the parking lot being emptied and she remains still. Yet the evenings she shifts ninety degrees; and seems to be content but nearly motionless.
These time notes are consistent upon each observation weekdays since fourth egg
sighted Thursday April 26. I love this mother bird; she sure takes care of her own!

May 7
After 65 mph straight line winds this 0300 May 07, 2007 the nest is intact. I can't reach the nest due to flooding but these guys built a castle nest and roughed out dime size hail and terrific winds. But, now the male is helping during the storm. He shifts his head with yellow-ringed eyes when I approached at 1000 and he does not freeze like mrs. robin and is not perfectly still. I can't wait to photo the nest when flood water dissipates. Hatchlings? To be continued!

May 9
OKC's nest is alive with Robin chicks! I am finally able to photo the nest but the speed of my my cell phone camera can't handle the speed of this these chicks. I am only speculating but don't I see four throats and no eggs in this abstract photo?. Wow! Mrs. Robin was really upset at me for this very crude photo session intrusion. Very active flying within 3 meters and just screeching! I did this photo within 5 seconds, but the ground is still very soft and shaky. I am so glad to see the nest alive with chicks, I believe all four have hatched.

May 11
9 AM
Robin's nest is alone. Is she feeding? Yep, I believe so, the nest sure appears to be filling fast. .Did the storms disturb this nest? I see pink bulbs; are these unfertileized eggs? I am sure glad that the nest is active with at least one chick!

May 14
0930. Mrs Robin is very angry with me and let's me know; she does not like my big nose around hehe. She swooped at me (within hands reach) from behind with her alert call while I snapped a 35 mm camera from the west at 1 M distance at eye level (revealing a single beak of the alpha extending above the rim of the her evactuated nest) and landed on a branch in plain view as if to dare me to get closer to her instead of the nest! Her warning zone has expanded to at least 2 meters and she uses distraction tactics. Yeah Mom!. By 10 am she's very active providing food.. The alpha chick rules the nest; I hope there is more then enough food for all the other new chicks!

I have also noted today that I've seen at least four other robin pairs feeding and heard at least ten others along my bicycle route of 2 miles ESE of this sighting. I found another nesting area using the sound of their warning call.as a locator. I saw an empty nest at least 20 feet high in a pear tree. But I'm sure by the sound of their call that several live nests are around in these local pear trees. Robins are abundant here in OKC!

May 15, 2007 10 am


My fellow workers had a real laugh when they saw me a running! My last photo attempt was a complete disaster. I had both parents after me, even biting me. because I had my hand up near in their house attempting a view of the nest. The parents swooped in, pecking this time, from several directions.The several chicks look like mushrooms having their beaks wide open. I suspect they felt they heat of my hand (with camera)) and open up to receive nourishment. But, the parents said "Stay away from our nest!"

They are almost perfectly disguised among the vines; in fact, overhead photo is impossible without disturbing the nest or going under the vine shield ( as I did.). . Side and underviews are great; but, don' try to peep hehe! (to avoid the attack of the robin.) Feels nice to have another creature scould and touch me! Yet, give me no harm and I surely mean no harm this beautiful robin family!

May 16, 2007, 10 am.


What a fantastic sight! The nest is visualy bustling with chicks from eyelevel. We did see the alpha perch on the brim of the nest briefly this morning.

12 noon. I kept a distance and watched Mrs robin follow a certain pattern:in every 3-5 minuites. She would exit due west after giving last feeding. About three minutes later she would appear flying into the southern outskirts of her territory from the south and perching. If all quiet she'd swoop to the north side of her territory and then into the nest. In about 30 seconds she flys to the west if no disturbance to repeat this cycle.

If ever disturbed she always exits to her north perch briefly then flees to a hiding area in the southern side and hide among the thick layer of fresh tree leaves.

May 17, 2007, 10 am


Alpha is on wing! The little thing I saw was so beautiful in it's training flights around the southern thicket. It's blue plum and bright red chest are almost impossible to discribe!

May 18
Mrs Robin seems distant today. I see her often but not in her nest having two remaing chicks. She seems to be very proud. She is not disturbed by our parking lot activity and boldly sets on the end post of our fence. I noted she seems attracted to another male? Can birds mate more than once a season? I don't know; but, this is one chance that I have been blessed to witness nature and its wonder.

May 21, 2007 830 am
I found Mr and Mrs Robin doing the courtship again. So, I suspect another nest is being built in the very northern tree of our fence line. He sure was doing his thing dancing on an open post! He had a beak full of fine grass.

In the mean time the chorus of Robin morning song is present from this new northern location on the work site (about one hundred feet north of the orginal nest in a Live Oak tree). It is so nice now to hear that the morning song of the robin is of the song of one of my unidentified bird calls. I had wondered and have been tring to identify and been looking for in my past.. But; here, multiplied by three, new Robin chicks singing in chorus, the missing song is now revealed and great! These chiicks have a much higher tone and faster repetition rates but they sound very similar to the parents. Brr cheep bip.. , triple tones and other definate tunes truly identify these chicks as Robin to me. It's my guess two males and one female appeared in this clutch with one loss.

I must say Alpha has mastered his flying and is very fast. HIs siblings are still to master flight. Unfortunately, I believe Beta suffered from the storm and did not survive. The remaining chicks seem to stick together while Alpha runs wild. Also, Mrs Robin obliviously was wanting to fill up number two (Beta) with food on the May 18, but it was not there; so, she starting flirting with her mate on this day!

oklahoma city, OK

Latitude: 35.4 Longitude: -97.5

Observed by: Leonard
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