Thinking outside the box

The above photo shows a robin's nest built on top of one of our backyard deck supports and right over the top of an empty wooden birdhouse.

I noticed this week that there was a lot more nesting materials lying around the birdhouse and on the ground than had been there earlier in the summer. The original nest was so flat that I didn't think it could hold eggs let alone baby birds. But the whole thing was remodeled by an enterprising mother robin and she either has eggs or baby birds in it (I can't see into it). I am guessing there might still be eggs in there because I didn't hear any chirping when I went out to take the photo, but I guess I will have to wait and see.

If I see even a hint of small heads peeking over the top of the nest, I will get out my telephoto lens and take a few quick shots, hopefully not infuriating the mother robin too much.

I have been disappointed this summer in that I haven't seen any baby birds come to my feeders when I know the birds must have hatched their eggs already and the babies are out on their own. So finding this little treasure makes me very happy.

I know robins like to build their own nests but it is kind of funny that the birdhouse is empty again this season. No little birds seem interested in making it home. I will have to move it when the baby robins are gone for the year. It is designed to be a blue bird nest, but I don't have the right locale to attract them.Too bad..

I did catch sight of a blue bird while on a nature walk the other day. Here it is, sitting pretty on top of a blue bird house that is being used!