This morning, just after sunrise, I spotted a little flutter of movement beneath the maple tree. Not quite a chick, not yet an adult—a juvenile robin. He was all mottled chest and fluff, hopping with more enthusiasm than grace, his wings a bit too small for the sky he clearly wanted to reach.
I paused with my tea and watched.
He was cautious at first, his head tilting this way and that, trying to make sense of the wind and the worms and the world. Unlike the smooth red front of his parents, his was speckled like someone had taken a paintbrush and splattered brown ink across his front. His feathers still looked a bit tousled, like he had slept in.
He made a few bold hops toward the birdbath, stopped, and stared at his reflection. For a second, he looked confused—like he was wondering who that awkward, fluffy stranger was staring back. Then, with one slightly wobbly lift of his wings, he tried to fly. Not far—just a bounce to a low branch. Wow, the determination in that lift!
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His parents weren’t far. They kept a watchful eye from higher branches, occasionally calling out soft encouragements. I noticed them drop a few morsels of food, still feeding him here and there, though he was clearly learning to find his own meals. It reminded me of teenagers—still tethered to home, but itching to explore.
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He spent the better part of the morning learning. Hopping. Hovering. Peering under leaves. Pecking at things that moved and some that didn’t. Everything was a discovery. Every gust of wind, every rustle in the grass, every shadow—it all meant something to him. And it struck me just how new the world must feel when you’ve only just left the nest.
By midday, he had ventured further down the garden. Still within calling distance of his parents, but testing boundaries, staking out little pieces of independence.
Watching him reminded me why I love this time of year. Not just for the return of green, or the longer days—but for these quiet moments where you can see nature’s stories unfold right in front of you.
So here’s to the little robin with tiny wings and a big world ahead of him. May his hops become flights, and his curiosity never fade.
Read more:
- A Quick & Easy Step-by-Step Tree Drawing for Beginners
- Sketching Quick Bare Trees: A Quiet Winter Ritual
- The Beginner’s Guide to Nature Journalling
- Meet the European Robin: A Fact-Packed Guide to This Beloved Bird (With A Free Watercolour Illustration)
- From Birds to Pages: How My Birding Journal Tells a Story (With Examples & Free Printable Colouring Page)
- Tea with a Robin: Notes from the Garden Fence
- The Sleeping Habits Of A Robin: How Many Hours Do Robins Sleep For (With A Free Sleep Log Template)
- Robins & Their Favourite Foods: From Worms 🪱 to Berries 🫐 (With Free Printable Hand-Illustrated Art)
- Where Do Robin Fledglings Go When They Leave the Nest? 🪹
- How Robins Choose Their Sleep Spots: Insights Into Their Night-time Behaviour 🌜
- Are You Seeing a Male or Female Robin? Here’s How to Tell
- The Robin’s Song 🎵
- What Do Robins Do All Day? A Day In The Life Of a Robin (With A Free Printable Hand-Illustrated Clipart)
- Digging Deeper: How Do Robins Know Where to Find Worms? (With Free Hand-Illustrated Clipart)
