Broken Dreams

I love birds and I think robins are rather fun to watch as they stalk creepy crawlies in the grasses and along the sidewalks. Their red breasts and bobbing heads always make me happy. They're not song birds, but they have their place in the winged universe and their eggs are such a beautiful color. My house features an exterior lamp near my front door that has a flat top, so robins often use it to build their nests in the spring. DH loves to peek out of the living room curtain and and watch the little fledglings with their mouths open begging for their next meal.

Our front door porch light is often used as a nesting
platform in the spring, usually by robins. The flat
top of the light makes a great base, and it is tucked
under our eaves, so secure from all but the most
violent storms. 

Unfortunately bad things can happen, and between the time we left the house on Sunday morning and the time we returned after seeing the movie in the early afternoon, this year's nest had been attacked. Last year's nest also had been trashed, but we were hoping the feisty mama robin would be successful this year. There aren't any branches nearby, so a squirrel wound have had to launch itself from quite a distance to reach the nest.

When we arrived home, the nest was on top of the concrete
steps below the light, eggs broken and yolk running down the
step facing. 

The remains of the nest and its eggs were resting on the front steps. Although it might have attacked by a blue jay, they usually just tend to go for the eggs, not the entire nest. No - we think this year's destruction was caused by a squirrel. Squirrels might look cute and be a lot of fun to watch, but they are just rats with bushy tails and great PR.

The nest itself had been beautifully built and was very sturdy. I really love the spray of flowers on the left that had been cascading down from one side alongside the light shade. There had been at least one egg in the next, bur probably more than that. They feature that gorgeous turquoise blue color that always startles me a bit when I look at it. I cleaned up the remains and I'm sure mama robin is catching worms and bugs once again, but at least I have the photos to share with all of you. Enjoy your Tuesday.