Robin's Nest

AbsoluteZero

Some enterprising robin has decided to build a nest on top of my air conditioner, in the space between the top of the unit and the awning of my house.



I'd like to get up there and take a picture of the eggs/babies once a week or so. However, I'd have to get awful close to the next in order to do this, which might piss the robins off.

How likely are robins to attack humans who near their nests? More importantly, how likely is it the robins may abandon the nest? I don't plan to mess with it, I just want to peak up there and snap a quick picture or two once, maybe twice a week.

As it is, if I walk out that door right there the momma robin will fly off and hop around in the yard, squaking periodically. The female seems to be rather timid, and I have not seen a male around though I assume there is one.

Basically, I don't want to get dive bombed nor do I want to scare the robins off so they abandon the eggs/babies.

Any tips?

Corrosive Monkey

Could you set up a webcam so that you don't have to be coming and going. And then just take the pictures from your computer

romanqwerty

Attach ur camera to a broom or something and just take photos using the delay timer?

Gabriel_Pitt

In my experience with robins nesting right near people zones, as long as you're not interfering they will be more or less cool about it. However, if they think you're getting into their space, or the babies start crying, you're going to get shrieked at and dive bombed, and there's nothing worse than chasing a flightless baby robin across the yard while getting dive bombed by the parents.

Hewn

Wow, I can't believe this is something I have great experience in. I didn't expect that entering this thread!

There has been a bird's nest built on my house, very similar to the one you describe, for at least 10 years. It's tucked under the roof but sitting on the power meter. Again, almost exactly like your picture shows.

What I can tell you is that through 10 years of storms, winters, and whatever else has happened that the nest has never fallen or even been damaged. I also know that many different birds have taken the nest over those years, each time the new birds make repairs or add to the nest. It is considerably bigger than the first one (it looked like your photo). I'm going to go ahead and take a picture of it for you tomorrow, just so you can see what those birds are going to do to it over the years, it's very cool.

So the next on my house is situated right next to our patio, where we sit and enjoy summer days. The birds have never once caused us any issues. After they get used to you, they don't even fly away anymore when you are nearby. Every summer we get to watch a mother nurse, feed, and send new birdies into the world. It's really quite cool, like having National Geographic all up in your patio.

So, you don't want to scare them off. Pretty much, just keep your distance until they start to get used to you. It's normal for the birds to fly around and freak out when they first see you. Eventually, though, they'll get the picture you're not a threat. As I mentioned, over time I got to sit 10 feet away and watch mom feed the young, she didn't care.

In terms of photos, well that's a tad more tricky. You really don't want to go poking too close to the nest. My best suggestion would be stand up on a ladder/sturdy chair and use the zoom on your camera from a short distance. Like I said, 10 feet or so is pretty acceptable after awhile. Play it by ear, see how they respond. It is highly unlikely you'll be attacked. Like I said, 10 years we've been within a few feet of these birds on the patio each year and never had one issue.

Tomorrow I'll get that photo for you. Good luck to you!

MuddBudd

I like the webcam idea.

RichardTauber

MuddBudd wrote: »

I like the webcam idea.

Of course you do, you filthy, filthy man.

HiredGun

Just to warn you, we had some birds nest on our porch once, and after a while the area was perpetually covered in bird shit. If you can deal with that, it was actually a pretty cool experience. The little baby birds were sooo tiny.

I second the webcam idea, if there's any way you can rig it. You could do a time-lapse video with it. There are various wireless webcam solutions that would simplify the process.

The Cat

There was a pigeon nesting in my mother's backyard who abandoned the nest+egg because mum kept wandering over to coo at it... mind you, it could have just forgotten the egg was there. Pigeons aren't too bright :P i think it'll be okay so long as you keep a few feet back - if the bird gets the impression that Teh Giantz have eaten their bebeh, they won't go back and check too closely in case they get chomped too, which = abandoned nest.

Hiredgun's got a good point about the crap, though, that might mess with the aircon's workings, or at least make your house smell like guano. Might be best to encourage them to nest elsewhere, especially if they haven't laid yet.

Sami

I like how your robin has corporate sponsorship

AbsoluteZero

I like the webcam idea... in fact that is a totally awesome idea, but I don't have the monies to get a system as such set up. We haven't been going out on to our patio too terribly often, so I'm pretty positive the birds aren't used to us yet. I can look at her through the back door window and she doesn't take off.

I'll see if I can't climb up on something a few feet away and use the zoom.

And yeah, once the babies are gone from the nest we are going to knock it down. I like birds and everything but I like having a cool, not bird poop smelling house better.

AbsoluteZero

Gabriel_Pitt wrote: »

In my experience with robins nesting right near people zones, as long as you're not interfering they will be more or less cool about it. However, if they think you're getting into their space, or the babies start crying, you're going to get shrieked at and dive bombed, and there's nothing worse than chasing a flightless baby robin across the yard while getting dive bombed by the parents.

Yeah that is kinda what I don't want to happen.

I just finally spotted the male. He showed up with a bunch of worms in his mouth, the second he saw me he took off and started squawking and hopping around in the yard. After a couple minutes he decided to start looking for food instead of squawking at me. I'm not sure I should actually go out that door anymore, lest a bird accidentally flies into our house. That would be not so great.

trixtah

Well, in my experience, I've had robins make nests on a wreath on my door and sparrows making various nests elsewhere. For the first week I kept hearing the damn robin but I couldn't find out where it was. One day, I opened my door and one of it's eggs fell to the ground. I moved the wreath off the door to the side of my porch a couple feet and checked on the little babies every once in a while. Birds don't seem to mind so much unless you start putting shit in their nests. Also prepare to have whatever the nest is built on to be covered in shit as well as the nest itself.

Original Rufus

I've seen a robin's nest disrupted.

Every bird in the entire neighborhood was alerted, and every goddamned one of them were after us.

AbsoluteZero

I'm giving up on trying to get good pictures. There's just not enough clearance, I'd really have to get up there close, like within inches of the nest. I'm going to try to get pics after the babies hatch and they start poking their heads out, instead.

trixtah

Original Rufus wrote: »

I've seen a robin's nest disrupted.

Every bird in the entire neighborhood was alerted, and every goddamned one of them were after us.

Oh man. I forgot about that. There was a bluejay that was trying to eat the eggs and about 20 (no joke) robins came and sat around on the roof guarding the nest. They never bugged me when I was just looking, though. Luckily..

AbsoluteZero

Well, I think the eggs might have hatched because the robins' behavior has changed.

I noticed today the mother isn't in the nest as often, and the male has started dive-bombing the window when I look out. Thankfully he pulls up before he can hit the glass...

Anyways, I figure if I actually went into my backyard now I would get dive-bombed by that robin. Anything I can do? Or do I have to wait until they are done with the nest and remove it?

Hewn

I don't know, you guys must have some killer instinct robins in your areas, because they've been on our patio for 10 years without one incident. We also have dogs.

Here's the promised photos to show you how close they are to everything:



The nest is a fortress!




As you can see, it is neither a bird shit mess or a danger.

liquidlogan

I just imagined birds laying seige to that nest ala-Lord of the Rings.

Hewn

One does not simply fly into Nestdor.

AbsoluteZero

Hewn wrote: »

I don't know, you guys must have some killer instinct robins in your areas, because they've been on our patio for 10 years without one incident. We also have dogs.

Here's the promised photos to show you how close they are to everything:

*snip!*

As you can see, it is neither a bird shit mess or a danger.

It's just the male that does it. The female just sits there and stares at us. It's getting kind of annoying, because we like to have the window on our screen door open, and when the male robin sees us he tries to fly at the window. He hasn't hit it yet, but if he did I don't know whether or not the glass would break. He is one protective little bird.