End of the Story by ocoee53
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Description
I am very sad to report the death of my robins. The bottom picture is the last time I saw them alive.
On Tuesday afternoon, I was walking up to my porch, and saw a blacksnake, about four feet long, at the bottom of my steps. Normally I don’t bother blacksnakes; they keep the rodent’s down, and they actually kill copperheads and rattlesnakes, which I have too many of. But I have had many experiences involving blacksnakes and baby birds, and I knew that as close to the nest as it was, it knew perfectly well the chicks were there. I didn’t have anything but my bare hands to deal with it. I tried my best to grab it, but the snake was just a little too fast for me. Sometime in the night, it returned for the chicks. Wednesday morning I found the nest disturbed; one chick was gone and the other was dead. I knew all along that the robins had nested too close to the ground, which greatly increases the likelihood that a snake will find the nest. But I had become pretty attached to the birds so it hit me hard.
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Shelter From the Storm
Shelter From the Storm
Comments (6)
Kyms_Cave
Oh! what a terrible shame..I to have had this happen..I know it is only nature but when you spend so much time with wild baby animals it is so hard when nature takes it's way.... At least you have given those of us who do not have these wonderful birds a chance to get up close and personal too..I am so sorry for your loss.. Awesome images....
MrsLubner
It is sad for the birds but the snake would die without food as well. I am not the one to judge which life is more important. They are all equal. Thankfully, the snake will live. Tragically, the chicks will not. Fabulous documentation.
Meisiekind
Oh Charles!!! How terrible! PJ is right though... that is the way of nature. However - I dislike snakes and love birds, so humanly I would have loved the story to have a different ending!!! Wonderful shots of the birdies though and a lovely documented memory!
durleybeachbum
It is sad when creatures you have grown fond of are predated. terrific pics.
flora-crassella
so beautiful photos!!!!!! Thank you for this serie!!!!!
Erestorfan
Oh Charles...so sorry to hear about the babies. It is so easy to get attached to babies in the nest, watching them grow and then have something happen to them. Hopefully she will have another clutch before long and pick a better place to build her nest. My gracious, I didn't realize you had copperheads and rattlesnakes down there! Holy smokes. I'd never leave my house, LOL. Here in NH we don't have any poisonous snakes...except in one small part of a state park about an hour from us. The Fish and Game Dept. won't even reveal the location of the rattlesnake territory for fear people will either become too curious or do them harm. So my thought was, okay, Fish and Game says there are no poisonous snakes in the state except in the state park...who tells the snakes that? It's not like they get to the border of Bear Brook State Park and say 'oh, there's the border. Can't cross it.'