Sunday, April 20, 2008

Robin's Nesting Place...NOT!

This morning while eating breakfast, I noticed a robin with a mouth full of dried grass. I wondered where the nest was being built and hoped it was in one of my trees. I open the front door later and was disappointed to see that the location they had chosen was the wreath on my front door.

This location will never do!This is NOT a good robin's nesting place. I have too many packages delivered and too many people coming to the front door to have a bird nesting here. Sadly, I removed the wreath and hung it over one of the coach lights next to the third garage door that is rarely opened. I doubt they will still use it, but I just hated to destroy their handiwork.

Today was a bit chilly after our warm day yesterday, but we are definitely in the full swing of spring. It is so amazing to me how quickly this happens. Some of my tulips are opening.


The chionodoxa is now blooming. I planted 12 bulbs and so far only a few have bloomed.

The clematis, that was planted at the light post in the fall, has buds. The gorgeous clematis at the mailbox is full of buds. Usually I cut it back to the ground but never got around to it this year, it is covered in new growth. I can't wait to see it bloom this year.


The Bradford pear certainly has its critics and rightly so. It does have faults, but I can't imagine spring without these lovely delicate blooms. They are in full bloom now and these little beauties fade quickly.

Carol, From May Dreams, recently did a wonderful post on the Bradford pear. You would think these precious little blooms would smell sweet, but they don't. Carol thought they smelled like grilled mystery meat. I had never tried to figure out what they smelled like before, so, tonight while taking my walk, I started inhaling when passing by a Bradford pear, there are quite a few of them in our neighborhood. I couldn't really distinguish a scent so I had to stick my nose up close to the blooms and sniff. They actually smelled fishy to me, like a dirty aquarium. Not really a stench, but fishy. My daughter agreed that it smelled that way to her too. Carol, could your mystery meat, by any chance, be fish?

My little duckies are still visiting. One mom, who was visiting the playground, told me that her three year old wants to always face my house now so she can watch the birds and ducks while she swings.

Speaking of the playground, we got the mulch for the playground delivered on Friday. I spent several hours removing the remainder of the weeds from the area, before the rest of the volunteers arrived. As I pulled weeds, I would often run across earthworms, I had an extra bucket on hand to drop the earthworms in so that I could deposit them into my own garden. After pulling one deep rooted dandelion, I discovered four earthworms and one was huge. There was a three year old little boy there with his mom, and he had been quite chatty with me. I asked him if he like worms, he drew back, shook his head and told me no, he didn't like worms, he was a car fanatic. He is very interested in cars too, because when we first met this new family a few weeks ago, the very first thing he said to my daughter was, "What kind of car do you drive?" Kids can be so funny.

I hope the robins don't eat all of my new worms!

32 comments:

Amy said...

I love the story about the three year old needing to face your yard in order to see the ducks :)

My mother's soil is *full* of earthworms. One scoop with a little spade and I find at least three or more! Then there's my soil...ugh.

Anonymous said...

Sorry about your nest. My very tender hearted oldest son--who is 28 and helped us move recently--removed a wreath off our back deck. It had a nest full of Robin's eggs. He didn't notice till they fell and broke. He's very manly and didn't cry but you could tell it touched him deeply. He was very apologetic when he showed it to me. I felt sorry for him. I can see you have his same spirit.

Just today while we were doing our front beds, I saw some of the shell left-overs from that little mishap. It instantly reminded me of his sorrow. It's almost 3 am and I'm waiting on him to come home. He's at a bachelor party with his brother. A friend of theirs is getting married. None of them are drinkers--but I'm still a worried mom even though they are all off on their own. He's just home visiting for the occasion--but I'm still playing the waiting up mom thing. If he was at his own home--I'd have no clue he was out this late.

Linda said...

Let us know if the robin continues to use the nest in the wreath or if it chooses a new location.

Jayne said...

Aren't Robins funny? Nesting on your door! I hope she finds the wreath just to see the photos. :c)

Beautiful mom Mallard.

As I was planing dianthus yesterday, I kept digging up worm after worm too. :c)

Melanie Chopay said...

Those robins might have chose a poor spot to nest but to them it must have seemed oh so beautiful!

What a nice story about the little girl who wants to face your house. Those kinds of compliments always mean so much more than the standard "how nice".

The Diva said...

What a smart and sensitive three year old. And, what is it with robins and wreaths. Mom has a large wreath next to her front door, and every year, they nest there. Because it's not on the door, they don't seem to mind the traffic.~~Dee

Carol Michel said...

I had a wreath on my porch that a robin used for a nest. Even though it wasn't on the door, every time someone came to the door, she flew off in a huff and sat in a nearby tree squawking. Then when the baby robins fledged and flew away, they left bird poo all over the porch. I had to scrub it all down, quite a mess.

On the flowering pear, someone left a comment on my post about it smelling like dried squid flakes, which sounds disgusting. So you might not be too far off in your comment about how they smell fishy.

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Benjamin Vogt said...

What an odd, but Robin-ly appropriate place, to build a nest. They always go for my grill, but most people have that issue. Neer heard of a door wreath! It'd seem unstable to me. My clematis look like yours--first year with them, so excited! My mom always has so many, so I need to catchup to her and plant more this year.

ChrisND said...

My in-laws usually have something hanging on or next to their front door. Many times birds have nested there. It isn't so bad, but it can become messy.

Reminds me of a recent story of a storefront with nesting geese. Apparently they chased the customers but actually increased business. (Though now-a-days I hate to think of the liability.)

Katarina said...

Your wreath was so pretty - that's why the robin chose it!
/Katarina

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Robins are building nests all around our garden too Robin. Too bad they chose your front door wreath for their site. Silly birds. If she comes back maybe you will have to remove your wreath a couple of days so she will get the message.

Chrissy said...

Poor robins...hopefully, they use your wreath in it's new location.

Frances, said...

Hi Robin, this story is so sweet and gentle, just like you seem to be. Poor mother robin, hope she can trace the smell of her handiwork to your garage light. It does look like she had just begun, so you must have moved it in time for her to rebuild elsewhere. Working in the playground is certainly a good place to make some new acquaintances with the younger, car loving set! Quack, quack.
Frances at Faire Garden

Mary said...

What a sweet little boy - with a punch line, no doubt! LOL!

I've had a few Bradford Pear trees in MD and never noticed a foul smell about them... hmmmm. I agree though - they're beautiful.

It's so coincidental you spoke about a Robin's nest on your front door. Today I overheard a neighbor complaining about the same thing.

It's nice to visit again, Robin. Your blog is a breath of fresh air.

Mary

Unknown said...

The nest is cute! It adds a nice little spark. It kind of reminds me of a bow.

beckie said...

Well, it is Robin's nesting place is it not? They were just taking you at your word.:) Finding worms for your garden is wonderful. They do ever so much to help improve the soil. Glad to hear your 'project' is coming along nicely.

verobirdie said...

Poor mother bird! She found such a pretty place for a nest, but I agree with you that it is not the best place. Hope she'll find the right location very soon.

garden girl said...

Robin, what a pretty wreath! Hopefully mamma robin will find a better spot for her babies.

Our Bradford Pear isn't blooming yet. While I wouldn't plant one, we have managed to keep ours until now. It's as old as our home - 40 years - and I hate to think of taking it down. We had it limbed up two years ago because it was rubbing against the house, and to improve it's appearance, which isn't so beautiful anymore. I hate to cut down trees. I hadn't noticed the blossoms smelling badly - after reading recent posts about this, of course I'll have to take a whiff this spring to see what they smell like.

Meems said...

Hi Robin, Every year we have a terrible time keeping the wrens from building their nests in my front door wreathe. When my children were small this DID happen with not a great end to the story. It was a good idea for you to move the wreathe even though they probably won't use it- at least you avoided certain disaster if they did set up housekeeping there.

Love those earthworms...I've been scooping them by the handfuls into my veggie garden. Marvelous creatures God thoughtfully made for us gardeners.
Meems @Hoe&Shovel

Unknown said...

Too funny! Guess the robins thought everything was meant to be their resting place. HOpefully they'll find a more suitable spot elsewhere in your garden.
We have lots and lots and LOTS of worms here...the clay is very fertile and I've been heaping manure and other composted treasures around the place for years, so it's a lively spot.

Annie in Austin said...

Robin, the way you wrote this post I feel like I've actually been at your house this morning - I'll bet the little girl at the park will grow up to be a gardener...maybe the little car fanatic will get over his fear of worms.
The birds take pieces from our wreaths to build nests somewhere else but they haven't actually moved in to a wreath as yet.
The Bradford buds are so pretty - but I can easily ignore the open flowers! Maybe I never noticed how the buds look because they open and fall apart pretty fast down here.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Birds do seem to like to nest in inconvient places. Last week I was pruning my mom's climbing Hydrangea when I accidentally startled a bird nesting in it. The climbing Hydrangea is on a courtyard wall right near the front door. Several years ago, my parents had to post a sign by the garage warning visitors not to come to the front door or they'd be buzzed by anxious nesting birds.

Gail said...

Robin,

Every evening during the spring and summer a Robin sits on a nearby limb singing his/her heart out....this has been going on for years...they are wonderful birds. Love the chionodoxa such a great blue.

gail

Bek said...

What a great story about both the robin with the wreath and the worms. I like having worms in my garden but only because I know how good they are. I can't stand looking at them or even touching them. I am pretty sure I wouldn't have taken a bucket full with them for myself:)

Anonymous said...

I just love the ducks! We have had several nests built in our front door wreaths over the years too. Thankfully, in two of the homes- we didn't use the front door- but in one we did. And that's how birds got INTO our house one time. We sure had a hard time getting those terrified birds out of the house when that happened!

Diana said...

Robin - Don't you hate it when the birds and their nesting habits don't quite work out right? I hope they decide the 3rd garage is a better location and find it there. I have a cliff swallow nest that was bothered for a week or so by a sparrow. I scared him off when I could, but now I have no idea what's going on up there and what might be up there. The sparrows were gone all day and night yesterday but are back. Guess I will wait until the neighbors' birds hatch before checking ours out - it's too high to get up there at all, so it will just have to come down when hatching time is long past.... or happens. Good luck with the robins...

Anonymous said...

Robins always find a strange place to nest!

Connie said...

What is it with robins? One built a nest in my honeysuckle vine right outside my front door, and every time I opened the door I would startle her and she would startle me....ugh! The next year she came back, but I removed the nest before she laid her eggs in it.
Very nice photos!

Anonymous said...

My chionodoxas bloomed very poorly the first year I planted them. I think they need time to settle in. This year they are amazing and I think they have already multiplied.

Carol Soules said...

Great post. That robin picked a colorful nesting spot!
Beautiful pictures.
Carol
terranovadesign.bogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I love your pictures. Makes me home sick for a yard. I'm in a townhouse and no yard. Do a lot of container gardening.

I miss the things you can grow and the animals you can attract.

Dr. Craig

Anonymous said...

I too had a robin build a nest on my front door wreath. The door is composed of all glass panels so the bird could see inside movement as well as the outside visitors. If she was on the nest I would move about very slowly inside so I didn't startle her. However she laid one egg and abandoned the nest, I left it there and about 2 weeks later another robin came along and laid another single egg and seems also to have now deserted the nest. Has anyone else had this experience?