My Dear Robins,
I love you. I really do. Some people think that robins are too ordinary to be of much interest, but I am not counted among those souls. Anyone looking at my blog for long will realize that I love birds and looking through my photos, they will find several very flattering shots of robins. But I really must point out a few problem areas where we are just not seeing eye to eye on things.
Do you see this photograph?
This photograph, taken only moments ago, depicts the woods which surround the environment in which we all live here. Woods which are full of trees, trees being the supposed perfect place for robins to build nests. For your edification, I am enclosing a list which includes places that the management hereabouts considers to be poor nest site choices. On the list [attached, see addendum 1] are such places as on the tops of ladders that someone leaves leaning against a building whilst they go inside for lunch, doorways under which there is a a high rate of traffic which causes you to get all wigged out and flap around the heads of said traffic, squawking your fool heads off, like we want your funny looking babies anyway, and on top of the wood pile that is still being constructed, which trust me, makes it a particularly bad place to try and raise a family.
Now, please turn your attention to this photo.
This photo is also of some of the many trees available for nest making in our immediate vicinity and the arrow demonstrates that at least one pair of robins understands where a nest ought to be built, since it indicates the location of their very own nest. Here is the father robin now, waiting for me to go away, so that he can go and feed this yummy and nutritious worm to his babies.
And with the exception of an occasional photographer zipping by very quickly to get a few pics, they are far away from people and very safe.
You might also wish to observe this photograph, of the nest construction [which I took as I ran by the nest so as not to disturb the babies therein]. It appears to be made of all natural indigenous materials such as mud, sticks and grass.
This brings me to my final point for today – your recent choice of nesting materials. This is a hanging basket. Holding in the dirt and plants is a coconut fiber liner. Coconut fiber liners do not provide natural indigenous nest building materials because we live in NY, not Hawaii. We have no coconuts and I am pretty sure that Hawaii has no robins, so I don’t think that you have any sort of genetic predisposition to making nests from coconut fiber basket liners. 
And don’t try and blame this on the wrens or cardinals. You were caught by this surveillance photo, the poor quality of which can be attributed to the clandestine method in which this had to be taken and not on the fact that I had not changed the settings on my camera, making off with a wad of coconut fibers in your beak.
This is the hanging basket after your depredations. With no coconut fibers to hold them in, the plants and dirt will fall out and that is not very desirable back yard decor for the summer.
I trust that you will use this missive as a opportunity to mend your ways so that we can all coexist peacefully, and that no further discussions need take place. Thank you in advance for your attention to these matters.
Sincerely yours, dlyn
Too funny! Now – if only the robins would listen! Have the flowers fallen through the basket yet? That would be a good follow-up picture!
Yes YES yes please come speak with the robins here too.. I adore them and make sure they have fresh water twice a day for their bathing purposes but… those we deposits on my chair are just not nice… and we too are surrounded with wonderful trees for nesting purposes…
they just wont listen to me… maybe you would have better luck!
HUGs Laura
Robins have been one of my favorites from childhood … where living in Maine …. the “first sign of spring” was a significant event.
This spring I received many hours of enjoyment from a house wren couple right outside my bedroom window, using the house we provided, in our Aristocrat Pear Tree. The male particulalry filled many hours with beautiful music and cheerful antics as he was so pleased with the home he provided for his mate.
Regretfully, they suddenly disappeared …. silence …. this interestingly coindcided with the discovery of their presence by a certain 6 year old, with time on his hands, that spends much time in the backyard with a baseball bat. I have not dared to approach the subject yet, lest I get upset, and maybe keeping him from adding lying to the already possible offenses involved. At this point I’m hoping for the best ….. they found a better place ….. without the presence of adroable, pesky, inquisitive, mischevious baseball players. But I do miss them very much!
Bawahahahahaha…
Those sneaky little birds…you caught em red-handed!
Ha. ha. Just too funny Dlyn.
Robins–first sign of a robin in the springtime-sheer bliss.
Watching robins be robins later in the season–sheer h&ll!
Ok, maybe it’s just me, but the photo of the baby beak? Initially I thought it a miniature high heeled shoe. It took me a bit to make out that it was a beak.
Your photos are gorgeous!! What a funny letter – you are a hoot!!
Have a good WEdnesday – see you soon – Kellan
What a wonderful letter. I am sure the robins will realize the error in their ways and nest else where.
Boy you must have some pretty high tech robins up there in New York. I didn’t realize that birds read blogs! Hopefully for your sake they will take heed and listen to your instructions.
In reference to robins and springtime. Imagine my surprise when we moved from OH to Ga and there were MORE robins here all winter. Then I realised I was living where they fly to in the winter…Duh!! Very weird having them Leave in the spring.
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