The Bird Update

Back when we first noticed a robin diligently carrying pieces of grass back and forth from the yard to a spot he had found under our deck earlier this year, I did a little bit of research on robins and nests. That’s when I learned that American robins usually raise three broods each season, but that they don’t typically reuse the same nest because as parents of young children know, things can get kind of messy. So, we knew once the fledlings had flown the nest it was time to clean up the old nest. It was on our to-do list, but so are a lot of other things, and, well, for those of us without wings the nest isn’t super accessible.

Last week, I once again spotted a robin with some grass in his mouth in the vicinity of the patio, and figured he must be building a new nest for the next batch of babies. When I investigated under the deck, I didn’t see a new nest. Then a few days later I realized that instead of building a fresh new nest, the robins simply built on top of the old nest. It was much like those people down the road who a few years ago bought an old, falling down farmhouse, tore everything down to the rafters and built a fresh new house.

Each of the past three mornings the mama robin has been sitting in the remodeled nest when I go out to water the patio plants, and each day another egg appears in the nest. We’re now up to three:

Wait? How am I taking photos of a nest that’s supposedly not super accessible? Well, we have found that laying a phone on the deck with the camera lens aimed down through the one of the gaps in the wood is the perfect way to get a view into the nest.

I suppose before long we will have some more baby robins. I’ll keep you posted!

The Giveaway Update

Back over a month ago, I had a little giveaway for a bundle of my books, and a winner was chosen and contacted. And contacted again. Alas, I never heard back from them and needed an address to ship the prize to. So, I finally chosen a second winner. So, congratulations to Andrea! Your books are on the way! If you enjoy this weekly newsletter of mine then you should definitely read her blog ARHtistic License.

Win a T-Shirt

Did you know that the American robin is the state bird of both Wisconsin and Michigan? This is something I learned earlier this year, and it had nothing to do with my research into robin nesting habits. This was actually when I set about creating state bird graphic tees for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia for my my Threadless Artist Shop.

Now, it’s your chance to win your own state bird t-shirt! Please either reply to this email or leave a comment on this post letting me know which state you would like (it doesn’t have to be the state you live in) and what size t-shirt you would like. Hurry, though! You have until this Sunday, July 14, 2024 at midnight to get your response in. Then don’t forget to check your email on Monday as I’ll be sending out an email to the winner. Good luck!

— Alissa

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Weekly Inspiration

What I’m Reading: Falling Animals by Sheila Armstrong

What I’m Watching: The Blue Angels

What I’m Listening to: “Rich Girl” – Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

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Find out more about my books at alissagrosso.com

Find out more about my digital art at alissacarin.com

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My apologies for the typos and such this post is almost certainly riddled with.