let us not forget the robins

For awhile I was so preoccupied with the gorgeous and extraordinary herons and hawks that I failed to pay attention to the beautiful winged things right under my nose... 

Let us not forget the sweet robins... There may be nothing flashy or extraordinary about their looks, but they are, after all, our faithful companions at home.  They sing their cheery song every morning, and we catch sight of them off and on all day long, hopping around the yard in their quest for worms.   

Here's a robin's nest made under our pool deck this spring, which is where this particular robin has made a nest every year for 3-4 years now.  It is not the greatest location.  It's only about 4 feet off the ground, and every year it has ended in some version of disaster, thanks to our dog Bella who always finds the nest...  and you can figure out the rest.  It's not a pretty ending.

This year, finally (!) we outsmarted Ms. Bella!  Our friend Arnold helped us put some fencing around the nest, so the mama could fly in and out and the little fledglings would be protected as they were learning to fly...  

The only downside is that I was not able to get any other pictures of the babies due to the fencing... But at least some young robins made it out into the world!