A robin built a nest on my front porch and I’m not thrilled. I know, I know! I feed the birds all winter, keep the bird bath clean and full and yet here I am getting all NIMBY when it comes to sharing my space. I was thrilled to see a local osprey fly off with one of the branches I’d collected from my recently downed oak tree imagining it’s new life as baby bird home. But when my feathered friend chooses my sweet porch to build in, well, I wasn’t happy. A little too close? What kind of hypocrisy is this? I have reflected on and chastised myself for this poor attitude. I don’t offer the following as a defense, simply an explanation.
With the warmer days, I get to expand my living space outside and I’ve been busy cleaning up. The front porch is my favorite spot to drink my tea in the morning, ponder the yard and life. And now, I feel thwarted. I had my chance and confess, I considered removing the nest when I saw the beginnings of grass stuck in the corner space right above the pillar next to where my laundry line begins. I really thought about it.
Momma Robin won. I did not touch the nest. This morning I watched her fly back and forth, beak full of damp leaves or wads of earth and now bits of dropped flotsam litter the area. After depositing her load into the nest, she hops in, shimmying down with a fluff of feathers to make sure it’s just right. Within a few days she’s woven the messy strands of straw into a formidable little home.
Don’t get me wrong – I love birds and respect a nest. I’ll skip whole sections when pruning my privet hedge at the slightest suspicion there’s someone nesting. When cardinals settled in to raise their babies in between the branches of a rose against the breezeway windows, we tiptoed passed for weeks. But this spot is my Grand Central. I am always in and out and live out here as soon as the weather warms. I hang my laundry off the line at least once a week.
I’m not sure how to navigate now. Do I not use the porch? I want her to feel safe and comfortable raising her babies here. I’ll have to figure it out and so will momma Robin. She still takes off when she sees me in the window. So now I’m a little worried I didn’t make her feel welcome.
I looked it up – incubation period is about 2 weeks and another 2 for the babies to move out. Did you know that most bird nests are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA)? Don’t tell our current administration about this though – God forbid that any vulnerable living thing be protected. That law will go the way of all the other protective legislature if the emperor gets wind of it.
What an opportunity to recognize and work on myself. I left the nest alone. I obeyed the good law. I’ll love my neighbor. Now I’ll settle in do my best to practice this lesson on living my life with integrity from the best teacher ever: nature.
Support our National Parks.
Great story! We had a robin’s nest on top of the lamp next to our front door and soon learned that the male bird would fly away to distract us from the nest whenever the door opened or anyone walked up. It wasn’t a very smart plan on their part, because flying off made us pay attention. The birds only stayed until the little ones hatched (get yourself a periscope so you can see them in the nest after the parents have tried to distract you). And they came back year after year.
The baby birds will be cute. Their poop…not so much.
So I’ve heard! I’ll have to get the tarps ready!
Can I ask them to NOT come back? (you can see I have some work to do still!)
Tricia, when we lived in River Vale, a Robin built her nest into a wreath on the front door. Your grandfather was very solicitous about this and we all agreed to use the side door around at the back so as not to scare her away with opening and closing the front door. Not particularly convenient! This happened two successive springs with some birdllings the first year, but some predator, probably a grackle, took out the following season’s babies. After that, no more wreath on the front door! Err on the side of mercy; the poor things have plenty of other challenges.
Good for you, Tricia. You….NIMBY….lol! As if. We had a nest built right inside one of our hanging flowered pots on the deck, near the house a couple of years ago. I think it was a big, fat Lantana that I loved. Anyway, we’d quietly sit at the table to eat or just observe the frantic back and forth of mommy or daddy, the wobbling of the plant during feeding along with lots of chirping….and then boom. One day – silence. All grown up and flew the coop! We loved it. XO
I’ll bet you’ll miss them when they’re gone; you love critters of all kinds!
But that porch is surely yours to stretch out in in these lovely warmer days no matter who’s hanging around!