The Robins are here!

You all must know by now that I am a bird lover.  Truthfully there are very few species of our feathered friends that I do not love, but my favorite by far is the Robin.

I have been fascinated with the Robin all my life, and every year I await the spring day when I first see the returned visitors.  That day was yesterday.  Gary and I were walking to the house from the car, and I heard one call.  I stopped so quickly that he thought my knee had gone out of place - that was until he saw me looking up.  Guess he knows me pretty well - because the next thing he asked was if I'd heard a Robin!

Sure enough as I stood there, one flew over my head, on his way to my neighbours crab apple tree which is still loaded with fruit from last years crop. 

I rushed in the house and hauled out my yarn stash and selected the softest yarns I could find, and started cutting 6 inch lengths for nesting material.  This morning while I was waiting for Gary to bring the van around to the front of the house I covered every little bush, fence and arbour I could find with brightly colored yarn.

I do this every year, and quite often I get to see my yarn dangling from some tree branch up high in a tree where it is attached to some nest or other.

Did you know that it is the female Robin who chooses the site and builds the nest?  It usually takes her 2 -6 days to build the nest, making an average of 180 trips a day with mud or grass (or yarn) during the peak building period.  I wonder what HE is doing while she is working so hard?  Singing - That's what!

So the next thing I can look forward to is Mr. Robin sitting in the tree outside my bedroom window, singing his heart out at 5:15 am... Can't wait!