🐾 Maybe the reason I love animals so much, is because the only time they have broken my heart is when theirs has stopped beating.

Saturday 3 October 2015

My Robin has babies!


Since I photographed my Robin's eggs (Cape Robin-chat - Cossypha caffra), on the 24th September 2015, I've been keeping track of Mrs. Robin as she sits on the eggs, and early this morning I noticed her carrying titbits of minced meat that I put on the feeding table and small insects to the nest and what do I find? Two TINY little babies! I only managed these two not-so-good shots, I don't want to interfere too much, but as she was away for a couple of moments, I took the chance.I am utterly and totally thrilled because, although they have already reared a few broods in my garden, this is the first time I've caught sight of the tiny babies!


As I moved some of the foliage to get a better view, one of the babies felt movement and opened its mouth wide, expecting some food, but I wasn't quick enough to capture that.


A cropped version of the pic just above

Egg-laying season is from about June-January, peaking around October-November. It lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 14-19 days. The female broods the chicks throughout the night and intermittently through the day, for the first 5-11 days of their lives. They are fed by both parents, eventually leaving the nest at about 14-18 days old, remaining dependent on their parents for about 5-7 weeks more.

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6 comments:

  1. Geluk Ouma!! Hope they grow up into beautiful birds like their parents! Very interesting post!

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  2. That is brilliant Maree. Fingers crossed that all continues to go well for them.

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    1. Thank you John, fingers crossed here as well!

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  3. How very exciting, you will be able to watch that busy mother bird feeding the babies and see them grow really fast. Your feeding tray will be such a big help to the Mother bird not sure whether the Father bird helps or not.

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    Replies
    1. It is terribly exciting Glennis! The father starts helping when the babies are about a week old and they've both been terribly busy keeping up with those appetites!

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