Out of the baby bird business

When we got home yesterday, we found Fort Knox sweltering in a mini-heat wave and our bird nest situated right in the afternoon sun. The poor little birds had their heads hanging over the edge of the nest and their mouths hanging open. My neighbor (the same one who had built the annex for the last batch) had been coming over regularly and misting them with water for the past few days, and I rigged up a shade for them, but it just wasn't enough.

One bird went overboard into the basket beneath the nest this morning, so Fred and I snagged him and one of his siblings and took them to the rehabber. She said that they were definitely showing signs of dehydration and that the other 2 were probably in pretty serious danger of becoming heat casualties. So Annabelle and I took the remaining 2 in for rehabilitation as well. I felt like such a heel as Mama and Daddy Bird watched me haul their babies away! But at least this way they have a very good chance of making it to adulthood.

I miss watching them out my window, but I sure don't miss worrying about them, especially in this heat. I think we are going to put the nest in the garage until the fall so that nobody will feel inclined to lay still more eggs. Next spring if the robins come back, I would love to finally get my webcam hooked up, but for now my avian birthing center is closed.