Yesterday, I caused two young robins to fledge! It wasn’t intentional but set off a round of squawking from the mother bird and the two nestlings as well as a few screams from me!
I was innocently watering my front porch plants and needed to turn the water timer to a manual setting. I heard some bird noises as I stepped to the side of the hydrangea to get to to spigot. I knew there was a nest in the shrub because I had seen the mother robin sitting on it a couple of weeks ago. At that time she did not raise a fuss when I looked at her. But, yesterday? Well, it was a different story! I turned on the water. Then, I thought I’d get a photo of the two robin babies sitting proudly in their nest. They had feathers so the were not that young. As I repositioned myself to get a better photo, the mother robin flew in towards me, squawking all the way from a honey locust tree we have in the yard. She’d been watching her babies and thought they were in danger!
I startled and screamed which, in turn, made the babies fledge from their nest, one darting one way and the other another way, with the mother encircling us all, weaving in and out, in and out, all the while sending out warning cries! I ran out from behind the bush as I was trapped between it and the exterior wall of our house, screaming! Two baby robins were squawking, a mother robin was screeching, and I was screaming! It must have been a sight!
A while later I went back to check on my plants and thought about checking on the robins. But, I didn’t. They were no longer on the front lawn or on the side walk. All was quiet. So, I assumed they returned to the nest…or didn’t. Maybe, today, I’ll be brave enough to check! After all, my flowers will need more water!
Today is Slice of Life: Tuesday. This is a weekly forum hosted by TwoWritingTeachers.org who developed and host this online writing group. I’ve been posting to this group since 2017. It consists of a wonderfully supportive group of educators and authors. I am grateful to be a part of it. Thank you, TwoWritingTeachers.org!
The Apples in My Orchard 
That certainly was a lot of excitement. And thanks for showing me what “fledgling” means — I’d known in a general sense, but never quite what it was drawn from. Glad to see the babies survived, and what a lovely butterfly.
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Thank you! It was a lot of excitement! Glad you enjoyed the post!
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Oh, my goodness! That certainly sounds like quite the surprise for ALL involved. Glad everybody has settled down okay.
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Thanks!
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Yes, that would have been quite funny to witness! “Two baby robins were squawking, a mother robin was screeching, and I was screaming! It must have been a sight!” Well-told story of this slice of your life, Carol!
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Thank you so much!
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