Mama, Papa & The Babes

Things have been very exciting here at Montrose lately! I wish this was the post in which I told you that we got a puppy, but alas, that day has not yet arrived. I am not a crazy cat lady and never will be. I have the potential of being a crazy single twentysomething dog lady. Thankfully, my anti-dog roommate has saved me from that. Instead, I have slowly and unexpectedly become...the crazy bird lady.

A few weeks ago, we found a brand new bird's nest at the top of one of our front porch columns. For days, we debated removing it and waited to see if a bird would return. Just as we were about to assume it was abandoned, we returned home to find a very pregnant robin standing watch over her new abode. 

As the days progressed, Mama Bird and I began to develop a relationship built on solid trust. She started out very skittish and did not like the fact that I would go in and out of the house frequently and spend hours sitting on the front porch. Sorry I'm NOT sorry, Mama - I loves me some front porch sittin'.

I learned from another blogger's posts about her robin's nest that robins lay one egg a day until they are finished laying all their eggs. One day, I stood on the rocking chair and reached up high with my iPhone to capture this picture:

Three eggs! The next day, I climbed up to discover this:

Four beautiful, robin's egg blue eggs. Crayola really had it right naming a crayon after these. Isn't that color stunning? She stopped at four and spent the next week or so keeping them warm and getting used to us being around on the front porch.

Sadly, when I climbed up a few days later, this was what I found:

Mama and I mourned that day. I don't know what happened to the egg. We never found it in the bushes around the area, and I don't think the stray neighborhood cat could have gotten up there...

Though I don't have any photos of him. Papa Bird often hangs around the yard watching Mama. He's never too far away and she will often leave the nest to say hi to him.

Three days ago, Mama was very active so while she was away from the nest for a while, I climbed up to snap this photo:

Two precious baby birds and one on its way!

In the end, these three ugly babes were resting in their nest with little flecks of leftover egg dotting their bare bodies.

Sometimes when I climb up and the shadow of my iPhone appears, they think I'm Mama coming to feed them and open up their oversized beaks for food. Interestingly enough, their eyes still aren't fully developed. See those black orbs beneath that beak? Those are their eyes. Weird, am I right?

For another perspective, here's Mama bringing back some yummy worms for The Babes. I snapped this while sitting in the rocking chair. I'm proud to say that Mama trusts me and doesn't even get mad anymore when I climb up to snap photos. 

Day 3, The Babes are growing quickly - more feathers and the start of eye slits. Both Mama and Papa are actively bringing food for The Babes - what good parents.

I don't know anything about bird birthing or raising, but I sure am proud of Mama and Papa and The Babes. Promise I won't be a crazy bird lady for much longer. Can I have a puppy now?