[mrnoodle]

I've spent the last couple of days chasing a robin away from the exhaust thingy to our fireplace (gas). They nested there last year, not paying attention to the fact that it's not only metal, but it's on the west wall of the house. Starting at about 2 p.m. and going till sundown, it's literally an oven. They lost a couple of chicks, and the frenzy that I caused when trying to help the remainder was quite memorable.

The parents would take turns sitting on the nest as the sun encroached, using their bodies to shield the chicks. I took a hose and sprinkler attachment and sprayed underneath the box, hoping to dispel some of the heat from underneath. They appreciated that, and even the mist that i sprayed over them -- they drank and drank. But hanging a towel from the roof to keep the sun off the box? Bad move.

The male parent would have nothing to do with the nest from that day forward, even after the towel was removed. The female stood underneath and puzzled over the flapping, bright invader for about 2 hours before she decided she could live with it. Meanwhile, the chicks start freaking out and bailing out of the nest over the course of a couple of days. Found one dead on the ground, one dead in the nest, and the remaining 2 weren't looking so hot. I guess the combined stress of the sun, the human, the towel was just too much for em.

I went to take down the towel when we were down to one survivor and it looked like he was about to get big enough to make a break for it. Put up the ladder, climbed up and removed the towel, and immediately frightened the chick into a suicidal dive out of the nest. sheesh, jumpy little critters.

so there he is, hopping all around and giving his little alarm cheep, when mom and dad come to the rescue. They gave me these withering looks (i swear. you had to be there) and immediately started divebombing me. It was like they were saying, "We KNEW it was all a sham to get to our babies, you vile carnivore!"

Fuck em. I left the baby on the ground and they all relocated to a ground nest under the hedge. Afterwards they all decided I was all right and they tolerate my presence now. Unfortunately, the instinct to return to the original nest is still there. I'll keep tearing it down until they give up. From the little I know of robin behavior, I may be fighting a losing battle, but we'll see.

I should've introduced them properly. This line of robins are almost pets. We've never touched them physically, but they're insanely curious about everything we do in the yard. When we mow, they hop behind us and eat the bugs we stir up. We have a little dance. They see me get to the end of a row and turn around, they get off to the side until I'm past, then get back in line and away we go. Symbiosis, don't ya know.