Birds, Song Birds, Tramp's Bestiary

Christopher

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ChristopherThank you everybody who voted to give the little Robin a name 🙂

The most popular name was Christopher and that is how I will remember him.

He’s gone 😦

I haven’t seen him since Wednesday. He wasn’t there when I opened my door on Wednesday morning, he only showed up once that day, I think to say goodbye and I haven’t seen him since.

ChristopherWhat happened?

There were too many Robins. I was seeing four birds every time I looked out of my window. I think they were last year’s brood and that they just hadn’t dispersed yet. Christopher must have been one of the juveniles.

I don’t think that he was hit by a bus, just because he did come to see me once on that last day. I think that he had to leave and find a territory of his own.

I put off writing this post. I am a bit disappointed, just because it took me three months to get him eating out of my hand and I miss seeing him when I open my door.

The way that I see it is that it was a wonderful experience and there is nothing at all to regret and I will try again.

ChristopherTake care Christopher (I have to stop calling him little bird now). Thank you.

Now that was a sad post. I have got another post to write today. The Dog has been saying some things about me that are not completely true and I have some beautiful pictures to show you.

Honey Bee

61 thoughts on “Christopher”

    1. Thank you 🙂 We may get to meet them yet. March is the start of the breeding season, young birds should have dispersed ages ago and if Christopher was a female then she might just be on nest duty and that might also explain her absence. I don’t really know where the little bird has gone, I am just guessing. Maybe it will reappear in a few days 🙂 Or is that wishful thinking?

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      2. Technically I have a “No pets” clause in my lease, although that has never stopped me before. Yes, I was thinking along those lines before he disappeared.

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  3. How disappointed you must feel, Colin. I’m sorry to read this, but as you say, this is the way of nature. Perhaps after breeding season, he may return. What a happy homecoming that would be! Meanwhile, there are so many flowers and butterflies, and so little time. 🙂

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    1. Thank you Eliza 🙂 I felt a bit deflated when he disappeared and I don’t want to get my hopes up but if Christopher was a female then it would be normal for her to disappear. She would lay four to six eggs at a rate of one a day. Incubation is by the female alone and lasts 13 days. As you say there is a lot of other stuff out there to fill the next couple of weeks and who knows? Maybe we will see her again 🙂

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  4. Christopher Columbus travels the world 🙂 next time if you want the robin to stay or at least to come back, choose a name like Lassie (returns home) 😊 I hope the robin is fine.

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  5. Sad that Christopher left, but still might return. Nature is not always kind in the way we’d like, but you did have a wonderful experience that most don’t get to have. Thank you for sharing it with us. Now about the dog saying things that aren’t true……

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    1. Thank you John 🙂 I am not sad, I have moved on to denial. I have convinced myself, since writing that post that he was a she and she is somewhere close, incubating her eggs. She will be back soon with hungry mouths to feed. By the time I realise that is not the case, the Swallows will be back and I will forget all about Robins 🙂

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    1. Thank you David 🙂 I am just so annoyed that he left without giving me the real photo opportunity. I needed him on my hand with good light but the door where I was feeding him was in the shade for most of the day. The pictures are good enough to remind me of what it felt like to have a bird in my hand and that will have to do 🙂

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  12. Colin, you were blessed with an experience not given to many. And, perhaps the worms you purchased gave a young female robin the strength to produce precious little fledglings. One day, don’t be surprised to find her free of her duties to come see you again.
    The picture of the flower and the bee is wonderful.
    Thank you for the joy YOU bring into our lives and we hope we learn more of Christopher/Cristy later in the season.

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    1. Thank you Ettel 🙂 Maybe I was feeding up a female to help her produce her eggs, I thought I was feeding a male so that he could protect his territory 🙂 If the bird was female then she won’t be far away and she will be relying on her mate to bring her food. I have started leaving worms outside my door for her mate to collect. The Blackbirds think that I am nuts but they don’t mind 🙂

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    1. Thank you Emilio 🙂 Whilst Robins can be very aggressive toward other Robins they are very tolerant of strangers. They have a strong maternal/paternal instinct and have even been seen feeding other birds chicks. He would not be like that other Christopher.

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  15. We will all miss Christopher. Through your journal, we were all watching the progress between human and bird, leading to trust. What a lesson!

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  16. How lucky to have known Christopher at all! That you were able to get him to eat out of your hand is a testament to your patience. I can’t help but thinkg of the experience as a metaphor for the fleeting pleasures of life. Carry on, Colin. Lots more out there in the woods!

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    1. Thank you Clare 🙂 There are a lot of other Robins in the garden but they are just birds and they flit past me. My little bird sat outside of my door singing and waiting for me before bouncing over to see me. That wasn’t any bird and I do miss it. I will do this again.

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  22. Colin, often we make light of the posts people put up because we are all trying to be light hearted anyway, but after all the effort that went in to gaining Christopher’s trust I can imagine that you would be heart broken. I am truly sorry.

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    1. Thank you John 🙂 Apart from missing the bird’s attention it is very frustrating to spend so much time taming an animal and then to lose it. What can you do? I will just have to start over.

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      1. For ‘robin’ delete and read wife or daughter, or son, or second wife and in anticipation – second daughter. At least you know that next season you might get a better one.

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  23. Bye Bye Birdie. it is sad for you Colin that you have lost your little friend, it is like losing a family member. I am sure that there is an empty spot in your mornings now, but it was wonderful for a while that it could teach you and give you joy. Thank you for sharing that with us and we are sorry for all the effort ending in abrupt departure. It is interesting that there was a courteous thank you visit to say good-bye, almost human. But there is much hope that little robin has gone off to make a merry band so we can be glad that the universe is unfolding as it should. When I was around age 9 I tamed a gray squirrel to eat out of my hand, and soon after she had a litter. One day she was hit by a car crossing the road to my feeding station. I never forgave myself and never tried to tame animals again after that. A number of years ago I had a bird feeder and had many little feathered friends, one cardinal in particular that I named Rex and mate Regina. He always came and sang for me whle I was gardening. Birds are so joyful to the spirit.

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    1. Thank you Stephanie 🙂 A very sad tale about the little Squirrel. I have not given up on my Robin and will buy one more lot of worms in anticipation of her return. Incubation takes thirteen days and by next Wednesday she should have a little mouth to feed. Next Wednesday I shall have worms in place, just in case.

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  24. Pingback: My Article Read (3-22-2015) | My Daily Musing

  25. Long live Christopher. Colin, thank you for bringing so much joy into our lives with your gentle, informative, and delightful blog. My thought is that a person could have all sorts of material blessings in life, but none could top the charts such as your experience with this beautiful little bird. The simple things in life are simply the best.

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  27. I’m a few days behind and just saw the name chosen “Christopher”, as soon as I saw the name I immediately knew ” Christopher Robin” and the song started playing in my head, Perfect!
    He or she went off to make a family,they’ll be back as soon as the babies hatch and they scream for those expensive worms!
    When you put out a video with his song on it, I was very sad I couldn’t play it because my computer is not allowing me to, the flash player stops. I know our Robins are very loud and obtrusive, I would of loved to of heard him.

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