This is the first time I found a nest in my hanging basket. I wasn't sure how to manage watering it, I don't want to disturb the mother and her eggs but I don't want to dry the basket out and have the flowers die. And I am sure Mama Bird doesn't want that either, right now the flowers and leaves conceal the nest well. I've been using a small watering can and carefully placing the spout in the rim of the pot and watering. It seems to work out well, the flowers are fine. I don't know what will happen to it as the babies hatch and grow, probably then it will take a beating. But, after all, this is just a mother trying to raise a family, I guess losing one basket is not that big a deal. But next year I may use the skewers or plastic knives to prevent it.

Oh I just love the robins! Thanks so much for continuing to share the pictures. My little house sparrows in my propane tank have hatched. I know a lot of people don't like house sparrows but I don't care, I love any type of critter and who can fault a baby bird for being what it is? I'll take pictures and post them soon. Thanks again for sharing the babies! Makes me want to take a marker and draw baby birds (now that they're cute with feathers LOL) hatchin' out of my tattoo! The robin lovin' Robin in NC

I had an interesting situation at our house. Bought a flower planter and left it on our front porch about chest high off the porch. I saw a bird's nest appear a couple weeks later but never saw a bird so I tossed the nest into the bushes to mulch. Then I saw the flowers were trampled and looked to see why and found 3 Robin's eggs in the flower bed. I used utensils to retrieve the nest from the bushes and carefully laid the 3 eggs into the nest. All the while the mama Robin was squawking at me. I checked and saw the bird returned to the nest and was doing some tidying up. Then low and behold she reclaimed the nest. Later that same day I saw 4 eggs as she apparently had one in reserve. She is nesting nicely now and we can't wait to see her little hatchlings come to life. I did handle the nest by hand at first when I tossed it but who knows if the bird cared. It makes sense that birds don't have a sense of smell.

American Robins return to the same breeding area they had frequented the previous year. Taken from Hinterland Who's Who Website. Linda