Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

Today was a notable one in the life story of the nesting garden Robins. The first egg of the second round was laid, I know it's not unusual for robins to go on and produce a second and even third brood but I am taking it as an endorsement of the way I have tried to make sure that the chances of success was maximised.  Now that they have chosen to stay in the garden and produce another clutch of eggs I am doubly proud.  I have provided live food and kept any disturbance around the nest to an absolute minimum.  Both birds are used to seeing me coming and going and in fact are attracted to my presence because they know I will leave a mealworms or two. 

When I have thought it wouldn't cause any harm I have peeped in to the box and absolutely resisted the temptation to photograph the nest and the progress of the chicks.I knew that they were about the age to leave the nest but I was surprised to discover that sometime today they fledged. The adults behaviour was different and that's why I checked.   What I wasn't prepared for though was the utter secretive behaviour of the fledglings who are hiding somewhere in the garden but I have hardly seen them.  I have tried to discover where they are hiding by watching the male carrying food to them and I am sure that they are hiding in the undergrowth.   Its been really nice to see them using our garden as a haven and watching them catching insects and then seeing them disappear in to the undergrowth with food to then reappear with an empty beak having obviously fed the youngsters, has been really good to watch. The newly fledged youngsters are doing a good job of evading detection.  Later on at dusk, one youngster was back in the shed and then flew fast down the garden followed very closely by one of the adults.  It would seem that the first night away from the safety of the nest is probably the most vulnerable time in the young robins life.  I will be hoping to see them safe and well in the morning.