Persistence Pays

The latest adventure at our house is a mother robin building a nest outside our air conditioning unit in our bedroom. The window is narrow, and the big part of the A/C is outside, east of our chimney. A nice shelf inside the crook of the chimney, it is perfect for giving babies a safe nest away from wind and rain. 

I did some 'Robin research' and found this interesting. Red robins live an average of two years. A mother Robin lays one egg per day. Each mother lays three to four eggs, no more. And a robin will raise three broods per season. After making a nest and laying eggs, the mother sits on the eggs for 12 to 14 days. When they hatch, she stays with the babies during the day but sleeps in a tree at night because it is too warm for the babies in the nest. The babies have enough heat to keep themselves warm even on cooler nights. Who knew? The parent robins sleep nearby in the trees to watch over the nest. The ornithology community prefers humans to refer to a bird's nest as a cradle or a nursery, not a bedroom for a bird family.

Once hatched, the mother and father robin will feed a nest of three babies 120 to 150 times a DAY! That is way too many trips to the grocery store for me. I'm afraid I would have to drown two of ours. I don't like shopping for food once a week, so 120 times a day is a deal breaker for this human mother.

Researchers say if the father bird dies before the hatchlings are grown, the female may abandon the nest because she cannot feed three birds alone. Her instincts know this, and birds don't have that choice—instincts and intellect separate humans from animals. Humans can choose a different path which in turn creates a different outcome. We are not victims of circumstance. In nature, birds sense if there is a deformed egg or retarded offspring, and the mother or father pushes it out of the nest. Therefore, giving it nutrients to grow is unnecessary when it cannot survive in the wild.

Last year a robin started building a nest in the same place. We needed A/C and wanted to shoo it away, but how could we keep it from returning? Sr. was thrilled to see a bird's nest in action, looking for the babies to hatch and fly while watching closely from our window. But I noticed the mother was scratching and scratching at the bottom of the nest. I looked closer when she exited and saw her frustration was the bottom was over the vent, and no matter how many trips to the woods she made, she could not get that bottom to fill in, but she was not smart enough to see the abyss of her efforts. So, I gave her a base by slipping cardboard over the vent. You know we mothers have to help each other out when we can.

I carefully got the perfect piece of cardboard and carefully lifted the window to scoot it in underneath her nest quickly, and pop, bang, crash; the A/C went out the window down two stories landing in the driveway. Thank goodness it missed the cars. So down would come baby cradle and all except, no babies yet.

My Sweetheart was heartbroken over the event but knew it was an accident, so he forgave me.  

Four days ago, I heard chirping and scratching and went to the window. Guess who's coming to dinner? Again? Yep, Robin Redbreast is back. I asked our son if he would make those spike things and glue these on the A/C and remove the nests. So, he went to Tractor Supply and came home to install the spikes.

Meanwhile, before he left, he put a ladder up to the A/C to inspect. After he left, I noticed the Robin continuing to build, so I went up the ladder, took the nest away, and placed an egg carton to prevent her from further construction until Jr returned. So it worked; she flew away.

My son returned, installed the spikes, and I said, "Great."

The following day at 5 am, I heard a loud chirping outside the window. I open the shade to see that a robin has built an entire nest that is almost finished behind the spikes. Once again, she is frustrated at the vent opening that allows the dirt from the bottom of her nest to fall through. She cannot secure the base; is this the same Robin? I can't say.

Sr. says, "Ok, I got this." He cuts a small cardboard circle and asks me to help hold the A/C and window. "No, you hold it," it is too heavy for me. I will raise the windowsill and quickly place the cardboard circle at her nest's bottom. Voila! Fini! We managed to get the window down again. The A/C did not fall out! Yeah! Ok, now what will Robin do?

The mother must have been watching as she did not return to the nest for an hour. I say, HOORAY. Either way, she is leaving. I'll take that nest away, and we can have A/C. Oh no. Two hours later, she's back with mud. Mud is the final stage of nest building, well that and more soft materials for the cradle. She must have liked the cardboard base.

Well, we get to watch the babies grow up and fly. The spikes did not work because they were not put over the vent. Instead, birds we see are excellent at maneuvering around spikes to land.

"Oh well, I can put another A/C in the other window." I said, "No need. If I can grow up in a UN air-conditioned house in the hot South for eighteen years, we can manage in the cool summer of NY with a fan and open window. But, for sure, we will have to clean out the vent of this A/C before we use it again, as she has dumped two seasons of dirt in that vent for a nest.

Persistence pays, as this mother, Robin, has proven. May we humans be as tenacious and driven to complete our tasks, no matter the obstacles. Stay calm and carry on, all is well, and all will be well—one peaceful day at a time.

Thankful for the beautiful world we enjoy every day.