Fledge Day

I noticed they were extremely active in the nest this morning. They were flapping their wings and moving around the nest. I figured they would be fledging today or tomorrow.

As the day wore on they began perching on the side of the hanging basket, at this point I figured it would probably be today.

Then it happened - at 12:44 the first one jumped from the nest and landed in a potted plant. It then hopped out of the plant and into the grass.

Keeping my distance I watched it for a few minutes. Mom was going to it during this time as well.

The sibling was still in the nest but within 30 minutes it too jumped from the hanging basket.

It landed on a thick pine bush. The mom came and it got itself off the bush and onto the ground.

So, they have successfully fledged. I can only hope they make it. It’s a dangerous world out there for them. About only 25% of the young robins will make it in the first few months.

Observation - I noticed I hadn’t seen much of the father today. He did show up at one point to get mealworms for the young and was looking kind of rough. During the fledging time he was not around, only the mother. Then about 3:00pm he showed up for mealworms and after getting a beak full he took it to the nest. He seemed surprised not to find the young there. That told me he missed the whole thing and had been gone for the last couple of hours.