It was a beautiful and coolish morning, perfect for a walk, but my trek had to be cut short by an errand. That errand was a trip to the eye doctor to pick up my glasses that had arrived almost two weeks ago, but their Robocaller had a hiccup, so I never got the message. Finally I called on my own. Anyway, I wanted to be there when their office opened, so I decided to get my steps in at nearby Memorial Park. I walked enough laps around that Park to rack up almost three miles, not so impressive, but at least I got some steps in before heading home to get the car and drive to the eye doctor.
On my way home, however, near the end of my street, what I initially thought was a crumpled-up leaf, turned out to be a baby robin with its head under its wing and fast asleep. This little guy was so small, especially with its head buried in its feathers. I guess he sensed my presence because suddenly its head popped out from under a wing and he looked up at me.
I sure didn’t want to scare this robin chick and didn’t see any adult robins around. I decided to take this little guy’s picture for today’s post. I took my camera out of the case slowly, not wanting to make any sudden movements, but all the while talking softly to my little feathered friend. In my most-soothing voice I said “sweetie, you really should have pulled over onto the grass to sleep because I might have stepped on you by accident!”
Well, he just looked up at me, a bewildered look on his face, and heart pounding a mile a minute. I haven’t cropped this picture so you get an idea of his size.
It might have been a coolish morning, but my heart melted a little when he continued looking up at me. I zoomed in on him, taking a shot from the top and the side. He tolerated my presence but still no parents came to his rescue, or to check me out, and that was worrisome to me. A quick glance at the two nearby trees told me there were no nests that he might have tumbled out of – so where did this little fella come from?
I put away the camera, still cooing at this bundle of fluff, with the tufts on its head and speckled breast moving with each heartbeat. Sadly, there was nothing I could do for him, yet I felt helpless just leaving him there on the sidewalk, shaking like a leaf. I decided that Mother Nature, and his Mama, hopefully close by, would take care of him, so I left, but with some trepidation.
I went home, got the car and went to the eye doctor’s office. I got there early and went to stand at the door to be first when they opened. Then, I saw the sign “new office hours” … they are now closed on Wednesdays. Great, just great. Well that’s a first and I admit I was rather irked and stomped back to the car.
I decided my sudden “found time” would give me a chance to go back to Memorial Park and walk a few more laps. I made a point to drive past the house where I saw the chick and saw Mama robin standing next to her baby. I felt better witnessing this scenario. While Mama robin is not a cat who can pick up her wayward kitten by the back of its neck and transport it to a safer place, she was still standing guard by her little one. I put the car away and went back up the street to check them both out.
Mama Robin was hopping on the driveway, close enough to ensure I was not going to harm her chick, who surprisingly had moved about 15 feet from his original spot. Even though Mama robin was nearby, so technically he was no waif, he still looked very small and scared. I wanted to pick him up and wrap my hands around his trembling body, but I dared not. He was a fledgling who likely make a misstep and tumbled out of the nest, or had a problem flying and lost his confidence. He’d have fared better had his wings been bigger and his tail completely formed; you can see how short and stubby it is.
I decided not to go walk at Memorial Park and instead turned around and headed back home, leaving him and Mama robin behind, tears misting my eyes, knowing I would not come back this way again. Not today. Not tomorrow. No, I would not want to see his lifeless body on the sidewalk as Mama may not be able to protect him from all predators.
Suddenly my trivial frustrations seemed silly … it took this little chick to see the light though.
I hope he makes it safely back to the nest or a tree, away from danger, because it is a cruel world out there sometimes.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Don’t worry dear! Nothing will happen him, He will be fine🙌✌️
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Thanks Sharon – I hope so. He was so tiny and that heart was beating so hard! But I Googled when I came inside, and since he is already grown, and with feathers and tiny wings, he should be okay. He did not appear to be hurt if he fell. This is why I no longer have pets – you get too attached to them.
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He will hide in a bush or weeds and be fine as long as Mama is around she will take care of him. So cute!
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I hope so Diane … I never walk that way so I won’t purposely go down the street to see him. I am such a softie and seeing him hurt, or if a predator got him, would be too upsetting. Mama was close by so hopefully she can push him into a safe corner somewhere.
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I once accidentally knocked down a robins nest from some vines growing on our house. I picked up the babies and put them in a hanging planter, which I hung from a lilac bush. The parents took care of the babies until they grew up and flew away. I found out later that I had missed one of the babies that had hidden in the plants under the vines. The parents took care of that little one too and it was safe until it, also, grew up and flew away.
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Oh, that makes me feel much better TJ. He was so cute and so scared. I could see his chest moving in and out from his heart beating so hard since he was so scared. And he was so small, no wonder I didn’t see him when I headed up the street the first time. I hope his Mama pushes him into a safe corner to hide him until he is big enough to fly on his own. I can’t imagine he had tried to fly – his wings were too short and his tail was too short to help balance him. I’m glad your robins made it; let’s hope this little guy does too.
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Poor little critter!
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I know Anne … I wanted to scoop him and make him feel safe. I hope he makes it. He was so small that he’s lucky I didn’t step on him going up the street the first time.
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His mom will feed him on the ground and they grow fast.It is not unusual for chicks fall out of their nests. If you see the estate and have the opportunity to put back the bird you can do it.
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Hi John – I can’t imagine where the nest was … I looked in all the nearby trees, including the two right where he fell. I even thought of putting him up on a big but low branch so he was not on the ground, and his Mama could find him, but I worried he might tumble off and get hurt. I hope his mother pushes him into a corner til he is big enough to fly up into a tree out of harm’s way. I wonder how many more days this little guy had to go before fully fledged? It is 14 days from birth to fledging and leaving the nest for good … he just needed bigger wings and a longer tail to fly properly. Fingers crossed he is not preyed upon on the ground. Such a sweet little thing.
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“Suddenly my trivial frustrations seemed silly … it took this little chick to see the light though.” Maybe this little guy was just your angel sent to deliver this message to you. 🙂 Have a great day Linda! ♥
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I like your thinking Ruth. Everything that made me angry just disappeared when I saw this poor little soul. 🙂
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Beautiful photos Linda and a well written story!! Melted my heart and brought a smile. Like you I’m going imagine that sweet baby robin succeeds! And like you I would find the doctors office closed!!!😉. Perhaps we are BIRDS 🐦 🐦 OF A FEATHER
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Thank you so much for saying that. I do agree that we may be birds of a feather … I did not go back this morning, maybe on the weekend when I have cooled down a little, otherwise I might have said something to them. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this little guy makes it and his mom protects him until he gets his “wings” and can make it on his own.
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Oh, I hope he is ok. Reading some of the comments makes me feel better… it sounds like mama will protect him until he can get to safety.
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I hope he is okay too Janis. Like you, I felt better the next day when I read some of the comments about him being old enough to survive and that his mom would take care of him. But I was fussing over this little chick like a mother hen while I was down there the two times. I know all baby animals and birds are cute – this little guy just won me over.
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The pure compassion that you have for this poor little one really melted my heart. You are such a loving soul. I hope both him and his mother are safely out of the way now
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Thank you for saying that Zena. I will say that you would have to be heartless to not be affected by the sight of this poor little soul, looking lost and scared … and oh, that beating heart. You could see its chest going in and out. I wanted to pick it up and stroke its feathers and soothe it a little. I hope its mother finds a safe haven for her chick, away from any cats or other predators. He was so small, that I easily could have stepped on him if I wasn’t looking, especially with his head tucked under his wing. I’m certain he must have spent the night there. I was relieved to see his mother appear on the scene. (At least I assume it was his mother.) I wonder if she could push him gently with her beak to steer him in the direction of a bush out of harm’s way?
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Awww, nature is an amazing thing!
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It sure is AJ. I wanted to pick him up … he looked like a fluff ball. I hope his Mama tucks him away somewhere safe until he gets a little bigger.
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Fingers crossed!
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Amazingly cute photos! What a blessing to see this little one.
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Yes he was so darn cute and just so scared. I wanted to pick him up and stroke his feathers to soothe him a little. His heart was beating like crazy.
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Sweet!
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Yes, you wanted to pick him up and hold him in your hands, this sweet bundle of fluff.
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Miss Linda…………………………………you are not the only one who feels sad about this adoreable little Robin…………………………..I like how you said: “you’re leaving them to Mother Nature”…………………..just this week I too came across a little sparrow with a hurt wing, I think,…………. it was right in front of Trenwood store on Goddard Rd…………………………………..It took everything in me to not pick him up and to keep on walking and I did say to myself that I need to leave him to mother nature…………………………….
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Oh Ann Marie – you know we are kindred souls about animals, especially birds. Just like you, it was so very hard to walk away from him. He just looked like a little lost soul. I know you wanted to pick him up, just like me, and just stroke his head to calm him a little. He was so very scared. I hope our trust in Mother Nature will help your sparrow and my robin grow up healthy and strong.
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Here’s hoping that cute chubby lil baby learns to fly properly soon!!
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I know Ellie – I worried about him so. I couldn’t go back again to see if he was there, but hopefully his mother guided him into a safe haven and he is okay. He was so darn cute – a bundle of fluff.
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It might just remember you for your kindness.Animals can feel other animals.It knew your intentions.
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I hope I see it again … I never walk up the street that way, just the opposite way. Wayne, it was so tiny and that little heart beating so hard in its chest while it was standing there. I am going to liken it to that other robin I wrote about, that I saw on the fence the day it fledged, then I saw it recently on the roof of the same house …I know it remembered me and it sang for me and looked at me the longest time. I think that talking softly to a bird or an animal and no fast movements makes that bond. Look at you with your eagles. Then there is the movie and book “The Horse Whisperer” (which was a true story if you recall it).
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a memorable moment for you!
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I should check it again. When I walk my regular route at the Park every morning, I don’t wear it, as I know the distance for the round trip and and the amount of loops I walk that day will always be within a hundred steps. I only take it on the weekend or if I go grocery shopping as I forego a walk outside and walk in the grocery store (as much as 3 miles). However, I use a fanny pack and I just got a bought a fishing vest/photographer’s vest which I ordered from Amazon last week. Now I find with the new camera, I am carrying too much stuff on the fanny pack belt portion and it is hanging down and thought it might mess up the pedometeer’s calibrations giving me an inaccurate reading. I hope this works. I carry keys, extra keys, phone, whistle, pepper spray, pepper gel, emergency info in a capsule, and I always am carrying critter food. I used to use a lanyard for the whistle and spray but it was getting tangled up in the camera neck strap. I hope this works out better, though it might be warmish in the Summertime, but this is just on weekends or holidays, the rest of the time I use the compact digital.
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your a Go Go Gadget photographer!
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Ha ha – I missed having a lens cap cover with the attached cord which I used to have with the 35 mm camera. I had to have a separate place to stick the cover while using the camera, so I ordered a pair from Amazon. I figured sooner or later, I’d drop the cover and it would get dirty. Now all I need is good weather … we are having a totally rainy/stormy weekend this weekend. I hope they are wrong. The weather since Spring has been a real disappointment.
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I never use a lens cap.They are just a pain in the ass & your probably going to loose it sooner or later anyways.
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I agree with you on that Wayne. If you are just standing somewhere taking family photos, fine, but traipsing around while walking and carrying other stuff around with me at the same time, the cap is just one more thing to deal with. What I miss from the 35 mm camera is how you just flipped down the front of the leather case and popped off the lens cap with the string hanging and that was it. Here, I’ve been carrying the whole camera case to have the long lens handy and bought a small phone case to carry the lens cap in on my fanny pack. It was just all too much. I agree with you about the lens cap … I was trying not to get dirt in the lens. I bought a regular UV filter like I used for the 35 mm for protection, but it is not a screw-in type like I had before. You have to pop it in and tap it down. Didn’t like that as you couldn’t take it off easily. So not using it. It didn’t seem so difficult year ago – honestly it didn’t.
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never heard of a camera that had a snap in filter mount? You need a snap in ring with inside threads.Not even sure they make that sort of thing. You shoot with a Rebel…right?
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Yes, Rebel. I didn’t like the protective filter I bought for protection of each lens (regular and long lens).. I always had a screw-in type and this was just pushed into the lens. I pushed it in, then realized I would not be able to take it off if I pushed it all the way in, so I took it off – it was really hard to take it off too.
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I didn’t know the Rebel used such a odd type of filter mount! I’ve only seen the screw mounts.
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I wonder if it is because it came as a kit? It came with two lenses and maybe that’s why and the way to get around it would have been to buy the camera body only, then separate lenses that can be used on any Canon camera body? Canon and all the online research I did before purchasing told me they promote this DSLR camera as a good transition camera from compact digital or smartphone to a DSLR camera. So perhaps that is why. The kit was all inclusive … case, strap, main lens and long lens, battery … I only needed to buy the image card and I got an extra battery and a new SIM card reader. It just seemed strange to me and when I was at Best Buy and purchased it, and the salesperson was getting the other items together, I asked for protective filters and a polarizing filter and she said there were none in my lens size in stock, so evidently she didn’t know either or would have said it wouldn’t work. So, before opening up the kit and looking at the camera, which was the following weekend, I ordered the filters off Amazon, so they were ready for my first jaunt out. I have to wait three weeks for the camera lens with the string attached … it is coming from China … 3-4 weeks arrival. Canon.com did not have them in stock. No camera stores around here, so have to rely on Best Buy for anything electronic.,
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I’m sorry Linda,I don’t understand why your lens are so different? All Canon lens have screw mounts for filters…..that I know of.
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I don’t know why either Wayne. I doubt I will get out this weekend either as it is going to rain/storm all weekend (unless they are wrong). Usually when my boss is on vacation I have some free time, but this time I don’t have any as he left so much work. I came here as my eyes were running together from working on a long document.
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As far as the weather goes…….I always watch the satellite feed to see whats coming my way to figure out the “light” situation.You want “Goldi-Loks” clouds.Not too many (your situation) & preferably not too few (my present situation)…….just the right amount!
I might go out tonight myself? Will have to see how it unfolds.Too much cloud or too much wind is the normal killer of that idea!
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It was a beautiful morning today – cool and no humidity, but it was completely cloudless, a totally blue sky. I saw no squirrels except youngsters and they ran the other way … the other walkers were laughing when I put down peanuts and they took off and said “you lost your touch” .
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remember how stuffed you feel after a Thanksgiving dinner? We all gorge ourselves. I suspect that if you put a camera on the park you’d find many people feeding the squirrels. So if you came along a hour after their last feeding,don’t be surprised if nobody runs out to greet you.
Basically if a squirrel is hungry it’ll be down in a second.So logic dictates that If you don’t see any they must have full bellies.
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That is logical Wayne … the berries on the bushes and trees (mulberry trees) are shared with the groundhog and people who gather them and eat them, usually on the spot. The pine cones are green and very pliable and the squirrels are often eating them as well. The squirrels are not in “gathing and storing for Winter” mode yet.
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sounds like lots of food around there for them to gorge on!
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Yes there is, but it never stopped them from begging before. They climb up high in the mulberry tree where the groundhog and the humans can’t reach.
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Aw, what a lovely story of noticing and allowing/encouraging nature to take its course. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks Shelley – he was such a cute little bundle of fluff and so scared – it broke my heart to leave him there all by himself and trembling.
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You did what you could do! I hope the little guy made it. At least his mom was nearby!
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Yes Laurie – he was such a cutie pie and looked so small and vulnerable on the sidewalk. I was happy to see his mom nearby and kept wishing she would nudge him into some evergreen bushes out of harm’s way.
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Linda, this was so beautiful.
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Thank you Barbara – that little bird worried me and it was like the baby squirrel, I wanted to see Mom come and stand by her baby, or take it away. How I didn’t step on it, I’ll never know.
I’m such a bleeding heart.
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