Richard Moore Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 Every year for the last 8 or 9 years we have had robins build a nest in our climbing rose bush at the front porch trellis. Kind of cool watching the eggs hatch and the babies get fed. Usually the nests are very neat, well constructed, and the robins rarely drop any material as they weave it. This year, we seem to have a defective bird or bird couple. Over the last 4 or 5 days they bring the straw, etc on a regular basis but seem to have no idea at all for what to do with it once they get to the building site. At least half is just being dropped on the front steps and the "nest" is just a dangling mess with no support at all. Click to Enlarge 71.96 KB Click to Enlarge 62.21 KB Trust me, the "nest" looks better in the photo than it really is. It's like the poor bird is missing one of its instincts. Frankly, as a home inspector, it's a little embarassing to have this robin working on my home. Anyone got a good "how-to" diagram of a nest I can pin up nearby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynesoper Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 Richard, Considering the slow market, I would say that the birds have been watching too much Jerry Springer through your window, and it has caused inbreeding as well as erratic behavior. Are they throwing food at each other too?[] Hopefully as business picks up the birds will pick up also, their nest that is. Could be lack of sunlight stress also. I know i'd have a tough time building houses in the rain every day too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Lewis Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 I don't know about the nest, but those steps look slippery with all that straw on them. And what happened to the handrail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted April 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 And what happened to the handrail? Sheeesh. You didn't know? Handrails are for clients! I've also got illegal winders at my rear deck steps and to my basement if you want to write those up too. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 One's on the front porch column. The other's on the rear porch spotlight; on that one, you can see the robin in the nest looking @ me. Click to Enlarge 52.14 KB Click to Enlarge 39.41 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garet Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 Tell them to stop watching DIY Network! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 [utube] " type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"> It's feeding time in the nest outside my kitchen window. Until I watched the video, I never realized that this was a two way thing. At 0:34, see dad get, ugh, 'fed'. Mom gets her turn too. If you double click the start button, it will open in a slightly larger window on the Youtube page. You can then select the High Quality version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted April 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 I know you have all been worrying about the plight of my dysfunctional robin...so I have good news. It seems that he/she/they finally learnt on the job. Despite wasting a whole bunch of material, much of which is just hanging uselessly or on my steps, there's now a perfectly formed and woven nest supported above the branch. Tough to get a really good photo, but here's the finished home, ready for a family. Click to Enlarge 128.66 KB You can now all go back to whatever you should be doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 The nest appears to be poorly constructed. However, it seems to be functionally consistent with its intended purpose and is in average repair for age and exposure. I would recommend you have a structural engineer and arborist specify and supervise repairs prior to close. Note: please re-read my disclaimer boilerplate on page one, para 2 and my limits of liability in para 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Our robins got so good at nest construction, they're now able to build and sell them to other species. Click to Enlarge 61.97 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence McCann Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Isn't springtime great, my favorite season. Everything is new again, a time of rebirth. Fall, on the other hand, just bums me right out. Not too far from our home, in the Cuyahoga Valley Nation Park, we have a nesting pair of Bald Eagles. The Park Rangers don't want you back there but I had to go back to take pictures. I was in awe as I made my way around one corner and saw one perched on a dead tree stump. What a magnificent sight. The pictures didn't come out that good though - I snapped a few quick shots (didn't focus well) and left. Didn't want to get busted and didn't want to piss the Eagle off either. I never thought I'd see the day that there were Eagles in Ohio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Click to Enlarge 99.55 KB I have a pair of coopers hawks in one of my back yard maples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resqman Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Yesterday's inspection had a squatter on top of the masonry column supporting the deck. Click to Enlarge 42.04 KB Click to Enlarge 19.37 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Here are some that in the lid of the gas tank Click to Enlarge 63.53 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Click to Enlarge 99.55 KB I have a pair of coopers hawks in one of my back yard maples. Click to Enlarge 85.11 KB If you pull this pic and enlarge it , you'll see that the white ball of fuzz in the middle is a baby hawk. Despite all of the squirrel and crow attacks, it looks like they're going to make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Mama was pissed when I stuck my head over the chimney. Three of a kind Four of a kind Five of a kind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Beats my pair......... Click to Enlarge 66.56 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asihi Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Speaking of birds, I was driving out of my subdivision the other day when I saw what I thought was a weird looking goose. As I got closer, I saw that it was a wild turkey, just meandering down the sidewalk. Now this may be fairly common for a lot of you guys, but I live about 20 miles straight west of Chicago (Bartlett). This was a first for me. Click to Enlarge 49.93 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 Are you sure it's a turkey? Kinda looks like a female peacock to me. 'Course I guess I've seen one of each in my lifetime so I'm probably wrong. OT - OF!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 That's a turkey. Noble bird. They're all over. Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey should be our national bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 That's a turkey. Noble bird. They're all over. Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey should be our national bird. He also wanted our national language to be German; at least that's what they taught me when I went to DLI to learn German. I've often wondered what the world would be like today if German had become our official language. OT - OF!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 That's a turkey. Noble bird. They're all over. Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey should be our national bird. He also wanted our national language to be German; at least that's what they taught me when I went to DLI to learn German. I've often wondered what the world would be like today if German had become our official language. OT - OF!!! M. Just think how Southern Redneck German would sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asihi Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 That's a turkey. Noble bird. They're all over. Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey should be our national bird. They're all over where? I can't imagine too many wild turkeys in Evanston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Simon Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 That's a turkey. Noble bird. They're all over. Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey should be our national bird. They're all over where? I can't imagine too many wild turkeys in Evanston. In Evanston, they're found mostly in half-pint bottles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 In Evanston, they're found mostly in half-pint bottles. That's about right....... I think there's population blooms of lots of animals due to crows being eliminated by West Nile virus. Rabbits, squirrles, turkeys, more birds, all due to crows (predators) being scrubbed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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