Close Encounters of the Bird Kind - Part 2

A week ago Tuesday, I ate my dinner standing in front of the dining room window. I didn’t want to miss a moment of what was unfolding before me!

 

Once they had started being fed again, our nestling robins had grown and developed quickly. For the most part they seemed none the worse for wear after their earlier ordeal, although one of them was struggling. He was developing more slowly than the others. His neck was still scrawny and featherless, and he had difficulty keeping his head up in the “feed me!” position; he kept laying it down on the edge of the nest to rest. We were worried about him, but eventually even he began to fill out. The nest got so crowded that, once in a while, the chicks had to actually flap their wings in order to keep from being pushed out! (Good practice, I imagine.)

 

 

The parent birds took to standing beside the nest to feed them – there just wasn’t room on the rim. And they would call to the babies from nearby branches, causing the little ones to swivel around and stretch out their beaks in the direction of the sound – no small feat in such a crowded nest. The babies would get very excited and finally, late that Tuesday morning, the bravest got up on the edge of the nest, stretched his legs as tall as he could, flap his wings and hopped down onto the window sill!  Immediately the parent was there, with a big fat bug as a reward! But when the parent turned its attention to the other babies, our hero snuggled in as close as he could to the nest, and when the parent left, he shoehorned himself back in.

 

At that point I turned my attention to lunch. When I returned to the window sill, there were only three babies in the nest. Robin #1 had fledged!  I reluctantly left for my afternoon duties, fully expecting that when I came home, the nest would be empty. But no! There were still three robins in the nest. So I stationed myself in front of the window to eat my dinner.

 

Now that there was a little more room in the nest, there was a lot of preening, and head scratching, and fluffing of feathers going on. Little beaks were pulling out bits of baby fluff from underneath new, very grown-up looking feathers. The parents would call and the little heads would swivel to attention. Then Robin #2 got brave enough to hop out onto the window sill. Once again, the parent was right there with a reward. But after he flew away, rather than getting back into the nest, Robin #2 turned around and started cheeping encouragement to his siblings. Robin #3 climbed onto the edge of the nest, fluffed his feathers, flapped his wings – and turned around and backed down out of the nest. Then the little guy, not to be left out, quickly hopped down to the sill.

 

The three little robins huddled together on the window sill, then gradually made their way along the sill, in a kind of closely-packed leap-frogging. Finally they reached the end of their known world at the far end of the sill. There they sat, preening and scratching and fluffing and cheeping, until the parent came back. Once more fortified with food, Robin #2 stepped to the edge of the sill, and with a final fluffing and flapping, made the leap and flew directly across the yard, over the forest fence (about 20 feet away) to a low branch.

 

And then there were two. More fluffing and flapping and cheeping. And then once more the parent was there with food. These little robins knew what they were supposed to do, but would they do it? The little guy squeezed behind his sibling on the sill, and I could swear he was actually pushing! He seemed to be saying, “No way, José! You go!” And finally he did! Off to the right, out of sight, towards a nearby sumac.

 

Now there was the little guy, suddenly all alone for the first time in his life. OMG! He cheeped uncertainly a few times, then gradually made his way across the sill back towards the nest.  I wondered if he planned to get back into the nest. But when he was about two inches away he paused, fluffed his feathers (still with bits of baby fluff poking through), flapped his wings, and took off to the left, across the forest fence to the safety of the bush. Immediately the parent was there at his side. 

 

 

And that’s the last I saw of them. I imagined them practising their flying skills in the safety of the bush. Then, about a week later, a flock of robins appeared on our lawn. All looked like mature birds, but several of them were smaller – definitely younger. Were they our robins? I guess we’ll never know.

Close Encounters of the Bird Kind - Part 1

About five weeks ago now, I was sitting at my computer when I heard a scratching sound at the window. I looked up and there was a bird’s tail sweeping against the glass. A mother robin was building a nest on our window sill! She had just about completed the shell of the nest, and by later that afternoon she had filled it with dry grass. What an opportunity to watch one of nature’s miracles!

 

Sure enough, a few days later there were four blue eggs in the nest (I googled “robins” and found out the mother lays them one day at a time.) After that we would see her brooding in earnest early every morning, until she flew off to get some breakfast, and then back on the nest.

  

Right on schedule, two weeks later, I peered cautiously into nest while Mom was away and saw a little pile of trembling baby-feathers! The hatching had started. Things picked up quickly after that, with both parents flying back and forth with interesting (to a robin) bits of things to eat, and classic gaping beaks eagerly receiving what was offered.

 

 

Then, trouble! The mother robin went missing. At first we thought we just weren’t around when she was feeding her chicks. But as the days went by, the youngsters began to languish. Sometimes they’d be lying with their heads against the edge of the nest, beaks gaping; sometimes they’d be lying in a pile at the bottom of the nest. At times I wondered if we’d lost them, but if I looked closely, I could see the top one on the pile breathing. What should we do?! Try to rescue them? How? Let nature take its course? Then one evening the father appeared, perching on the side of the nest, and the chicks sprang into action – but he didn’t bring any food! Then he flew off and the chicks subsided. Had he given up on them?

 

That did it! The next morning I got on the phone and managed to track down a songbird lady in Rockwood, a town about an hour away. After I described the situation, she agreed to take them in, and I went to find a box to put the nest in for the trip. Suddenly the father was there again – this time with a big fat worm in his beak! So I call the songbird lady back and we agreed that we should leave well enough alone and see what happened.

 

Well! Things took a turn for the better after that. And a second bird appeared to help with the feeding. Was it the mother back again? An aunt? An uncle? Does the robin community have a crisis response protocol for looking after orphans? In any case the babies thrived and grew until they barely could fit in the nest. Fledging time approached. But that’s a story for another day.

Things I love about Caledon: Market Hill Cafe

Last week I had the pleasure of introducing some clients to the Market Hill Café in Mono Mills. It’s always a delight to do that, because who would guess this unassuming little country strip mall, located just south of Highway Nine on the west side of Airport Road, contained such a culinary treasure?!   From the outside it looks like another “greasy spoon,” although with an attractive sign. Even the menu looks pretty basic – burgers and chicken fingers and pizza. But oh, what burgers and chicken fingers and pizza! And the chalkboard list of specials offers truly gourmet treats. The word of mouth publicity about this little gem is spreading, so reservations are recommended. You can reach the Market Hill Café at 519-941-5150. They are open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday. Just tell them Dorothy sent you!

Things I love about Caledon: The Naked Cafe

Finally there is a place to go for lunch in Bolton that doesn’t induce a mid-afternoon slump. The first time I ate at The Naked Café, I swore I would never touch another hamburger! Their “Liquid Lunch” left me feeling so energized I sailed through the rest of the day. Now, their liquid lunch is NOT the two martini version; it consists of a stick of celery, a carrot, a half a cucumber, an apple, some dill and a generous helping of vegan protein powder, all juiced together. And the rest of their menu is just as healthy and just as delicious: made-to-order fruit smoothies and an array of juiced vegetables to suit every taste. There’s always a hot entrée and a choice of soups for a cold winter’s day, all made from natural, organic fruits, vegetables, grains and sometimes even meat. The coffee and tea they serve is fair trade organic, and they even have a healthy version of hot chocolate, high in anti-oxidants. The Naked Café is located next to Just Lubes on the northwest corner of Queen Street and Ellwood Drive. It is the dream-child of long-time Bolton resident Svetlana Fetterly, who left a successful career in the corporate food industry to pursue a certificate in Natural Nutrition. The Café opened its doors on November 7, 2011 and business is growing as quickly as the word can spread. Try it – you’ll love it, too.

Things I love about Caledon: King’s College School:

I’ve made my home in Caledon for the past twelve years and I’m always discovering something new. We are a community of creative and energetic people, so you never know what your neighbours are up to. Just recently I discovered a hidden gem that deserves to be brought to light. King’s College School is a small but mighty private day school in Caledon East, whose students are already making a mark on the world. Founded in 1994 by a mother who wanted more for her children than the public school system was offering, the school now can accommodate up to 40 students, grades 3 to 12, with a teacher/student ratio of 1 to 5. To date, every graduate has found a placement in the university of his or her choice. But academic excellence is only part of the school’s mandate. Barbara Lord and her co-director, John Eta, feel strongly that students should be educated to develop leadership skills and to understand the social contributions they can make in their community, the workplace, and the global village. Locally this takes the form of participation in environmental events and inviting local Caledon leaders to speak to students. On the world stage, the role of the school has been remarkable! In 2004 senior students decided to send a collection of books to Kumba, Cameroon, to start a reading room for children there. A year later several students, faculty and parents travelled to Cameroon to see where the books had gone. They were so moved by the spirit of the people of the country that they came home and started fundraising to build a school there. Eta Colleges Kumba is now a thriving institution, with ongoing support from the King’s College School community. Can you imagine what kind of impact King’s College School is having on their students?! If you’d like your child to share this experience, contact the school at 905-880-7645 or visit their website at www.kingscollegeschool.ca.