A lesson in perseverance against all odds

I’ll never use “birdbrain” as an insult again. A robin was intent on building a nest on the light fixture over our deck. I knew it was a terrible location but she wouldn’t listen to me. You know how women are.

She worked and worked, flying material up and placing it around like she wanted. Most of it fell to the deck, making a big mess. I thought she’d finally give up and find a more suitable place. I would have. But she kept piling stuff up  and finally a little  began to stick.

Then the whole thing fell off. Time to quit, I thought. Not Birdbrain! She started over with mostly the same results. But after several days of looking around for just the right twigs, pieces of string etc. and flying them to the light fixture they began to adhere to the mud she brought up in her beak. I assume that’s how they bring it. Can you imagine flying around with a mouth full of mud?

Successful at last, now she’s incubating eggs in the nest, flying away quickly whenever we open the door but never going far or staying long.

I’m looking at her through my studio door right now and I swear to God she looks like she’s panting.

Robin's nest

Published by BruceCochran

Bruce Cochran graduated from Oklahoma University in 1960 with a B.A. in design. He worked as a humor writer/illustrator for Hallmark Cards from 1960 – 1962 and has freelanced as a writer, cartoonist and illustrator since then. Cochran drew daily sports cartoon for USA Today from 1983 – 1991. He has 10 humor/cartoon books published by Willow Creek Press and his work appears regularly in Wyoming Wildlife, Outdoor News, On Wisconsin Outdoors, Pheasants Forever Journal, Wildfowl, Gundog, Ducks Unlimited magazine, Delta Waterfowl and other publications. He also writes and illustrates a regular humor column for Wyoming Wildlife News. Bruce won first place in the magazine humor category of OWAA’s EIC contest in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Life Sponsor: Ducks Unlimited. Life member: NRA. Member: Pheasants Forever, Trout Unlimited, OWAA and Outdoor Writers of Kansas.