Rockin' Robin Returns

I haven't seen Rockin' Robin (who built a nest under our screen porch overhang) for several days, until this afternoon. She came back and was sitting on the nest. I checked Wikipedia and discovered that the female robin builds the nest alone and incubates the eggs also alone. Lon said he thought there were eggs in the nest already and that got me wondering.

When Rockin' Robin left her nest this afternoon, my curiosity got the best of me and I hauled Lon's aluminum ladder from the garage and opened it next to the nest. When I climbed up, I couldn't see down inside the nest because it sits too close to the overhang. I went in the house and came back out with a small mirror. Using the mirror, I could see down into the nest where one aqua blue egg rested. I angled the mirror in several directions but still saw only a single egg. I was careful not to touch the nest. I'm puzzled because a clutch normally consists of three to five eggs.

As I was climbing down the ladder, Rockin' Robin or her husband came back and swooped in my direction, scolding me loudly for getting close to the nest. He or she sat in a tree nearby and I was concerned that maybe she wouldn't come back to sit on her egg after seeing me near it. I was relieved when a few minutes later Rockin' Robin settled back over the egg once again.

She didn't stay on the nest very long and now she's been gone for quite a while again. Wikipedia didn't go into detail about the nesting habits so I don't know if what's going on is fine or not. I don't know if a second and third egg may be laid soon or if there will only be one. I think Rockin' Robin should be on her nest instead of gallivanting all over the countryside.

According to the encyclopedia, the egg or eggs will hatch in two weeks and the chick or chicks will leave the nest two weeks after that.

(I've included two photos taken outside the screen porch and one from inside. Rockin' Robin didn't seem to mind when I slowly moved closer to her to take the pictures).