european robin

There are several around the reserve that warily take food from the hand.

Including my view of him - finally without twigs in between. But an instant later, he flew off. Thus ends the juvie robin close-up saga.

And he did stretch over and nibble briefly, but that shot was a dud.

I think it might well have been. Not that there was much rain that day, but there were a few drops. Then again, it could also have been dripping off the leaves above still from the two straight weeks of rain before that day. Here in Budapest, btw, there were also a few drops of rain today. But...

Not that I was teasing him about the bib in the first place.

Next to last day with the juvie robin. Today he finally turns the other way around, but on the same branch. Tomorrow he moves to another branch before taking off entirely.

We're nearing the end of the series. He turned, he moved over a branch or two, then he took off. At least before the first move he pointed which way he planned on going ;)

No, that was just the camera "clapping"

Speckles, after all, are for kids, and I'm almost grown up!

More of the juvie robin "story". He seemed to have a lot to tell, expressive as his poses were. But even long stories must end. Another 2 days' worth, a couple more non-robin shots from that day, maybe a few shots from my garden, then we'll see what I find in and near Budapest this...

:eek!: It's actually quite "mild" (for this far north, this late in the year). But yes, this little fellow needs to fatten up and learn how to stay warm. It stays a few degrees milder out on the Lade peninsula, where he lives, but even there it will drop to -20C for a few days mid-winter.

At least, that's how he looks to me.

The very next shot - much prettier with all those fleas gone ;)

This one ain't pretty, but it's kind of fun to see ;)

and reaching out to receive the traditional bouquet of flowers ... but nobody seems to have brought any flowers for the fan dance star.

See step 1 for story

See step 1 for story

Again, see step 1 for story

See step 1 for story.

This is part one of a 6-part series. This time I haven't entirely made up the story. The shots were actually taken in posted order (so reading right to left). But of course, there's always room for interpretation. We can never know what the bird was actually thinking, but I doubt he was thinking...

Taken in the garden this morning just after feeding also this image was taken through the window

To stave off boredom with this little guy, I've turned a few shots into a "story strip". This one is about my take on why he was sitting there chirping insistently. He was flying and his plumage was clearly in transition towards adulthood, but he still had some speckles, some down, and...

Why don't you bring me something to eat? Or maybe rather - Why don't you leave? You're scaring my parents away so they're not bringing me anything to eat!