… or perhaps I should say found me?
Aah, today was like a breath of fresh air after this stifling and sultry weather we’ve had for one solid week. It was a joy to walk again. Just as predicted, last night we had a storm and torrential rain and it was that weather event that broke the heat. Before the storm, we soared to 96 degrees and it was the seventh day in a row over 90 degrees with high humidity. The meteorologists were chock full of weather stats and I’ll throw a few out as well: in 2018, we’ve had thirteen days at 90 degrees or better, and usually we average only about eleven days the entire year. Luckily, we’ll get a two-day reprieve with cool weather, than back to the 90s again on Monday. Ugh!
Earlier this week, I found an old friend. I’m always glancing around as I walk through the neighborhood, and not just to ensure I don’t trip over an uneven sidewalk or miss a car pulling out of a driveway, with the driver not mindful that I am happening along.
You might recall in the tail end of May I discovered the family of robins nesting in a homeowner’s gutter on Pagel Avenue. The chicks were about ready to fledge. They were so big, and the nest was so crowded, that when I walked by, they were standing on the edge of the nest waiting for Mama Robin to take them on flying lessons so they could get certified to leave their twiggy home.
The very next day when I walked past, the nest was empty and one of the chicks was sitting on the fence. I am sure it was his first time flying solo, and I was his first human encounter. He sat there for the longest time, a little wobbly and clinging to the chain-link fence. I wrote about that sweet little guy with the feathery tuft on his head in this post I entitled “Empty Nesters”: https://lindaschaubblog.net/2018/05/24/empty-nesters/
Every time I walk down Pagel Avenue, I look for my little pal, although I can’t say for sure I’d be able to pick him out in a crowd.
But … I think he knew me.
The other day, as I strolled down the last leg of Pagel Avenue, just before reaching River Drive where Council Point Park is located, I looked around, just as I always do, and saw a robin alighting on that same homeowner’s roof. It landed with its back toward me and sat there. I stopped and pulled the camera out of the case.
Then I waited.
A few seconds later that robin redbreast stole a backwards glance at me and I took its picture.
Then, did I just imagine there was a glimmer of recognition that I was the one who spoke softly to that baby bird as he timidly perched on the fence the first day he fledged?
He turned his body around and faced me, perhaps for a closer inspection?
Well, I inspected him too. The spotted breast feathers are gone and his orangey-red chest and dark plumage stood out on that pale-colored rooftop. I called up to him, and, while we were not going to have a conversation of course, next I saw him open his beak and a few notes came out. And was that a smile? Look at the picture up at the top of this post, then you tell me.
This robin obliged me and posed for these pictures, warbled a few notes, then flew away to find worms, grubs and other goodies that robins are fond of and I continued on my trek to the Park.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Miss Linda………………………….I’m surprised you haven’t given him a name??……………he’s so darn cute…………………yes I believe he recognized you and did want his picture taken……………that’s why he turned around……………………….yes it was a pleasure to walk this morning
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I will have to think of a name Ann Marie – any ideas? I think he recognized me too – he looked at me over his shoulder, then decided he knew me so turned around to say “hi” … the weather was perfect … the next two days even better!
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How nice to see your feathered buddie again! I have no idea if wild animals that I’ve seen before recognize me but I really like to think they do.
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I liked seeing him too Janis. I do think he recognized me, rather than just giving me a passing glance, and then just flying away. He landed, looked over his shoulder, turned his body around then warbled. I look at the Park for the three robins there which I was monitoring for weeks, but they were in a tree so didn’t get a good look at me, thus no recognition nor rapport there.
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Your friend is very cute! I’m glad you’re getting a break from the heat!
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I thought so too – looks like he is smiling! I am going to enjoy these two days AJ … last weekend was so hot, it felt like an effort to walk without feeling like you’d melt into a puddle.
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We’ve had a few days like that too, but thankfully tonight it has cooled off
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Here too … remarkably so. We are back in the 90s on Monday though unfortunately.
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Oh it looks as though we’ll stay more normal at 23-25 for a while😀
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Normal is good and welcome!
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For sure!
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He was smiling and his eyes were twinkling- as though recognised the kindred spirit of his baby hood.
Susie
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I thought so too Susie and I didn’t think it was just my imagination. I think he remembered me talking to him and taking pictures his first day “out on the road”. 🙂
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just about ever member of the Corvid family can recognize & remember faces of people.Crows treated badly by a person will not only remember that persons face but will tell others! They will make a certain call when they see this bad person. Any Crow around will look & remember this person even though they were never harmed.
So I see no reason why other birds could not also remember.
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For years I had a robin trying to build a nest in the elbow of the coach light out front. He’d build a nest in less than day – big nest in the elbow, pack it with mud and the mailbox was underneath. I’d go out every morning to find mud drips plastered with grass and bird droppings on the porch and all over the mailbox lid. Annoying. I didn’t want the nest there as it looked terrible and the mess. So I took it down. The robin would watch me take it down, put it in a yard waste bag, crumple the bag down.
As soon as I left, he’d start building another one. So I stuffed the coach lamp elbow opening to keep him away. Every year from May to 4th of July, I’d fill the area with newspapers inside a plastic garbage bag and put toy pinwheels to keep him away. It looked pretty bad. The last two years he has not tried to build. But back then, he remembered me because I’d be out watering the flowers before I went to work and the garden bark would get wet and he’d pull pieces of bark out of the garden and throw them on the lawn. He was a defiant bugger … he would chatter at me while I was taking the nest down … I did feel badly about it and liked the birds … I fed them and gave them 4 birdbaths in the backyard for years, until the neighbor behind got rats, and I did too, and I had to stop feeding and watering them per the pest control service. I know that robin knew me for damaging his nest and taking it down, but I think this little guy remembered me from back in May. Birds are not birdbrains.
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he just wanted a home.I hear it’s good luck if one decides to put a nest in your home.
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I didn’t know it was good luck … I know he wanted a home but it is out front, but I do allow the robins to build a nest on the double security light in the backyard. They build a nest every year – I rarely turn the light on, and I accommodate them there to make up for not letting them build in the front yard. They have not built a nest in two years now in either place … I get sparrows in the metal rolling shutters box now. I have a kind face I guess..
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One can never have too many bird houses around their place!
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I agree -my next door neighbor had about ten birdhouses sitting out around the yard and between doing that and her birdbaths and feeders, it was a bird paradise. She had many hummingbird feeders too. Sadly, now that she is gone, the birdhouses are stacked on shelves on the deck and too close for the various birds to make a home in them. At Lake Erie Metropark yesterday, a man I was talking to pointed out the nesting boxes for the barn swallows. They were swooping and diving in the marshland area, but also near the fishing pier. He said that someone was hanging nesting boxes up on trees there and he had seen swallow families using them.
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providing a home for our fine feathered friends is a very noble pursuit Linda!
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Yes it is Wayne – everyone needs a safe haven, humans and our feathered and furry friends.
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I’ve been homeless..it’s a terrible feeling
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I am sorry to hear that Wayne – no one should ever have that happen to them. Every year I make a small donation to the Heat and Warmth Fund sponsored by our energy provider, the Red Cross and a food bank, which is my small way of thanking God for a warm house, a roof over my head and food to eat. But I live in my parents house, small but paid for long ago, so who knows what fate would befall me as well if I did not live here? Take care my friend.
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your a good soul Linda & all the animals you meet know that!
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I thought I was a good soul Wayne, and yesterday at Heritage Park I found a kinder soul. A man was feeding the ducks cracked corn – they went from about 15 ducks to maybe 50 in a matter of minutes. I had fun taking pictures of them and the aftermath, them playing in the water. I still gave them oyster crackers – life is short, do things to make you smile.
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One can never die from smiling! Draw the good close.
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We hotted up again on Friday hitting 30 (86) pushing me into the sea for a couple of hours to cool down – but 96. We were forecast a storm but it was not to happen.
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Oh – 96 was horrid with the humidity. My handyman did the gutters and some tarring on the roof around the chimney and a little cement work on July 4th. He was behind with outside work for customers as he had a kitchen remodelling job … I told him it could wait, but he said it was okay. I was afraid he’d pass out up there … he looked exhausted when he was finished not to mention dripping wet with sweat. I am going to seize these two days to get to the water at least one day and take some pictures and a few long walks in. There have not been enough picture perfect, cool days this Summer. We are headed for the heat again on Monday.
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What a cute event! 🙂 I’ll vote for “Tenor”, or “Tanner”.
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He was a cutie pie Uncle Tree – I know he remembered me … I like both names, “Tenor” especially since he was warbling away. This time warbling, last time wobbling. 🙂
I went to the water today to take pictures and go for a long walk. My arms and face look like your head because I got sunburned … I cannot remember the last time I got sunburned, but I am usually home by when the sun is strong, but decided to walk around the entire park and I was near the water. Oops!
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Don’t you wish we could bottle a portion of this heat and then release it when the cold weather returns? LOL. I guess we can dream eh?
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I sure do Ruth. Today is just gorgeous. I drove to Lake Erie Metro Park and walked all along the shoreline, took a ton of photos which I am uploading now. It was picture perfect and cool with a breeze. Let’s bottle that up and sell it in February!
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Best story ever!!! I love it!! You are special and I thoroughly enjoy hearing your perspective on life as you embrace the beautiful that so many others miss!! Thank You for sharing that story.
I hope you see that robin again!!!Perhaps then, as others have said, you anoint that creature with a name. 🐦 🌳 🏠 🐦 🚶 ☀️ ☺️
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Thank you for the nice comments – I enjoy nature, even if it is not necessarily down at the Park with the “Park critters” … this little guy was so cute, and I liked that he flew over to say “hi” … I like the idea of naming him too. I named another squirrel in the Park … called him “Parker” for many reasons, among them that he parks himself on my
feet to beg for peanuts. I have not seen him lately and worry about him – one of the other walkers who feeds the squirrels too has suggested that maybe now that the berry bushes are out and pine cones are soft and pliable (they like green pine cones) that maybe they get their fill of food and are not begging for peanuts. I hope that is why – fingers crossed I see him again soon, as well as this cutie pie robin. I think we should name him too!
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The bird doesn’t look so scruffy any more. I hope he recognizes you and repays you for your friendly overtures.
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No, his spotted juvenile breast feathers have now turned red and he has a whole tail and he lost that cute little tuft of feathers on top of his head. I think he looked pretty happy-go-lucky in that first picture.
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So sweet! 🙂
My mother, when she was young, helped feed a young robin that fell out of its nest, and it became her pet.
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That is a sweet story too Tom. I saw a similar tale about a Blue Jay that I read recently. Same thing – a rescued baby bird and it was tame, just like a domestic bird. I love the look on this robin’s face … it looks happy to me.
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So beautiful!😊 I think the most robin is curious, our European robin is and not at all afraid. I have feed one who was next to my feet in a BBQ area, it was use to people.
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I thought this little guy was cute too John and he sat there looking at me before he warbled a bit and it looks like he is smiling. I wanted to go find a worm and hand it to him. 🙂
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Oh bless. I am so glad you got to see your little friend again and he sang a little to you
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I was too Zena – it made my day and he seemed so cheerful … I was thinking how far he has come in just six weeks since he left the nest. He seemed chipper and so friendly.
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I’ve read that birds have excellent eyesight. So could be he recognized you, tough to know! Wonderful pix!
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Thanks Ellie – I swear he looked like he was smiling and I think he recognized me too. I have a blog post to do later tonight after I come back after dinner about a new robin. Cutest baby robin must have fallen out of a nest or jumped and then couldn’t fly. I saw him on the sidewalk. Very cute and so tiny and his heart was beating so hard.
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