Have you ever had a perfect vantage point to observe the rituals of family life as exhibited by this marvelous creature? Last spring and summer we had that rare opportunity up close and in its entirety. We actually became very attached to this particular family and if we had known a way to do it, would have made them a part of our entourage on the journey to our new home.

 Our introduction to this amazing family came one evening as we were enjoying a pleasant  barbecue dinner with guests on our deck . Suddenly a tiny speckled baby robin landed on the edge of the barbecue, not two feet away from us. Almost immediately his father also appeared. The barbecue was still quite warm and I was very concerned that the baby would be burned. His father was obviously also quite concerned about the proximity of humans to his baby but priorities dictated that he protect the youngster at all costs and he was quite bold in making that fact apparent.

He began to coax the baby  to fly off the barbecue and follow him but the baby was obviously too frightened and bewildered to listen. We all sat quite still and made no attempt to disturb them. In fact, we watched the by-play between them with a great deal of interest. Having such great front row seats doesn't happen too frequently.  The father finally accepted that the baby wasn't going to move and he flew off for a a few minutes only to return with food in his bill. He then joined the baby on the barbecue and proceeded to feed his child ignoring the fact that there were humans within inches.

 As we observed them we noticed the baby's tail was quite underdeveloped and causing him to have some balance problems. The father was exhibiting such concern that  even we humans understood that the baby was not able to properly navigate on his own. He finally must have realized we were not going to harm his child  and he went about the business of finding three more lots of food for his  wee one in the next little while,  all within inches of  the five of us. We decided to relieve his mind further by giving them their privacy and we went indoors.

 During the next few weeks  we had constant company and daily entertainment as Daddy and his baby  rarely left our yard. Wow ! can baby robins ever consume a lot of worms in a day ! That daddy worked his heart out providing food for his wee one at the same time attempting to teach him to fly. He couldn't get him air bound  and he would not leave him. Not for a second. The baby slept in a tree in our yard and Daddy was right there with him. No nest  was available so they slept in the crook of a branch.

 If he left him to search for food, he was only gone minutes. When he returned, if baby was not in plain view he would call him much as we would call our children. He would become quite agitated if Baby didn't answer quickly and once located, perhaps under a plant in the garden, it appeared that Daddy  was almost as good at scolding as he was  in providing sustenance. If we were in the yard when he would return it was almost as if he was looking at us asking "where is the baby ?"

One evening  a neighbour's cat discovered  the baby.  Daddy was as bold as an eagle. He actually chased that cat  along three fences and three yards and never let him anywhere near the baby. He would swoop down and threaten that cat  squawking at him all the while. If the cat  climbed the fence where the robin was standing,  the robin would advance  closer than we thought was safe for him until the cat retreated. He stalked that cat until finally the cat was forced to leave. This scenario lasted for almost an hour. On that occasion we watched closely but did not intervene as the defender had the situation well in hand. There were other occasions during those weeks when we did act as assistant  defenders and made certain that the yard was a safe haven, sometimes chasing a predator out of the yard ourselves, and Daddy seemed well aware of that fact. He had become quite comfortable with having us around. And in fact after a couple of weeks if we were sitting in the yard he left the baby in our care for an hour or two in the early evening. We thought perhaps he was checking in with Mommy  and the other siblings  but he always returned before dark  and with sufficient food to feed the baby enough to last him through the night.

 After a few weeks the baby finally managed to fly short distances  and on a few occasions he was quite naughty and gave his Dad  more than a little worry. Watching Dad attempting to find that youngster was hilarious. That kid was becoming a real brat and it was apparent that Daddy  was determined that his baby not leave our yard until he was more self sufficient. It was equally apparent that the youngster was starting to get curious about what else was out there. His flying was restricted to only a few feet at a time and at low altitudes as his tail was still not developing as it should and he wasn't flying nearly as well as the youngsters who occasionally dropped by.  We assumed they were the rest of the clutch and were still under the care of Mommy where ever the home nest was located.

 We were becoming more sorry for Daddy by the day as he worked from morning to night to provide food for that hungry little brat, and doing it alone. When he wasn't feeding him or attempting to teach him he would sit hour after hour like a sentinel watching every move made by the little one.

 And then one early evening we were treated to a marvelous spectacle. Daddy and baby were  following their normal routine when suddenly they had company. And I mean COMPANY! Mom was there and so were  5  other young robins, all carrying twigs and grasses in their beaks. They appeared to do a bit of exploring and then proceeded to become extremely industrious as they began to construct a nest. Dad joined them in their enterprise and they worked until dusk at which time Mom and the kids departed leaving Daddy and his  little boy to their usual night time perch in the crook of the tree.

 We were awakened very early the next morning to the sound of what seemed like an army of robins.  Almost true. There was the family again, all hard at work  with their nest building. ( Now I know what it must have been like when they had barn raisings in the old days !)  By nightfall that nest was ready for occupancy and the entire family had moved in.

  And now, with his brothers and sisters around, the little one actually started to make more progress as his flying ability became much more what one would expect of a  healthy robin. His tail was finally developing although slowly and each day  his actions were becoming more typical of  that of his siblings.

It was only about two weeks after that  when we noticed there was nest building activity in progress again and another nest appeared in a nearby bush. We wondered why the need for a second nest  but  soon the reason became apparent. There were new eggs in that nest ! And before long the  cheeping sound of hungry newborn babies could be heard in our yard.

 But now, Daddy had help. Mom was sharing the feeding duties this time. Thank goodness ! That poor father had more than done his share as a single parent. Watching them share the food search and feeding was definitely less worrying than watching Daddy doing the job alone had been.There had been times during those weeks when we had felt quite sorry for him. Of course, in fairness and in retrospect, Mom must have had her hands full too as she was left to care for the other babes when Daddy and Babe took up residence in our yard but we had been witnesses only to Daddy's performance. And of course, the other babies must have been much more able to care for themselves by the time Daddy and his under developed charge had arrived in our yard.

 One thing we definitely learned from this saga. Robins make very, very good parents. The responsibility shown by that Daddy Robin in caring for his disabled youngster was a lesson we will not soon forget. The fact that he had come to trust us so much was something which we valued immensely. We truly did hate to leave them behind when we moved. They had become a part of our family and had given us so much pleasure during those months prior to our moving. 

 Perhaps our love for Petey helped us in communicating with the robin. Certainly Petey has taught us over these past few years that canaries are amongst God's most  intelligent creatures. Why should we suppose that characteristic is restricted only to our precocious little guy ?

 I do hope that the new inhabitants of our home  appreciated what wonderful neighbours they inherited when they bought their new home. For our part, although there are many robins around our yard here in our new home  so far none of them has decided to adopt us or favour us with their trust  as our Robin family did during that special time.

Perhaps that was a once in a lifetime experience. I do know it is one we wouldn't have missed for anything !