Robins

© MMX V.1.0.1
by Morley Evans


Did I tell you the story of the robins, Sabine? I'll do that right now:

I sent this story to Yoshimi so you will see the Japanese word for "robin".


We have had a dismal summer and spring. It has been cold and wet. But we had robins. 駒鳥

Robins built a nest in the crabapple tree outside the kitchen window. I bought some Nikon binoculars so I could watch from my chair at the kitchen table.

Robins usually lay four tiny blue eggs. Merna was tempted to get a ladder and have a look inside the nest, but I discouraged that.

Things seemed to be progressing. The mother robin sat on her nest most of the time. Sometimes she flew off to get a worm to eat.

After enough time had passed, I expected to see much activity as mother and father fed their babies.

Then there was a violet thunder storm. The rain poured down. Wind howled. Lighting flashed. Thunder boomed. The crabapple tree shook.

The next day there was no robin sitting on her nest. The nest was empty the next day too. This went on for days. I gave up hope.

One day Merna said there was something on the nest.

I got my binoculars and took a look.

A big robin was standing on the edge of the nest. He had a steely look in his eyes. He had black spots on his yellow breast, so he must have been a juvenile robin.

But he was Big!

Where did he come from, I wondered?

It was windy and the wind fluffed his feathers. He looked into the wind with his determined look.

He walked around the edge of the nest.

Then father robin flew in.

When he landed, the new robin opened his mouth wide, expecting to be fed.

Father robin said, "Stop fooling around, Junior. It's time to go!" He flew off in a flash.

A few seconds later, Junior flew off in a flash too.

Over the next week the robins returned to the tree and to the lawn, but not to the nest.

Sometimes they splashed in the birdbath under the tree.

I watched Mother robin teaching Junior to catch worms.

She pounded her beak into the grass.

Junior lay on his belly watching with his wings stretched out flat.

Despite the rain and cold, this summer has been wonderful, Yoshimi. Hope it has been as nice in Kasama!


This morning, I watched a squirrel beside the crabapple tree, Sabine. I had never seen a squirrel here before! After supper, I watered the flowers. There are many mosquitoes this year.