Don't let the birds fool you.
They might sing those pretty little melodies and hop around on those cute little legs looking for lunch on the front lawn, but they can be mean too.
We met the Kamikaze Robin a few weeks ago while she was scouting around for a place to have her babies.
We were honored when she chose, not only our yard, but our front porch to do so. Right in the middle of my fuschia plant.
After she was faithfully present day after day after day we put the pieces together. We knew there must be a nest somewhere and my husband found it one afternoon. It held four little eggs - dry temporary housing - until they'd make their debut.
It was fun at first to watch her sit in the nest. She was a faithful presence on the step. But the closer her babies came to making their debut the more serious the mother Robin got about her job.
Once the babies hatched the gloves came off and we were no longer able to even use the front porch. I watched the rest of my plants on the porch become more and more dry and the one that held the nest start to die. But mother-to-mother, I understood her responsibility.
When I dared to tread on her territory it became a little unnerving. She flew at mach speed, full throttle and would swoop within a foot of my head.
Any attempt to exit through our front door was met with a 100 mile an hour attack by our mother Robin.
Finally one day I readied for battle - wearing my raincoat with the hood up as added protection I reclaimed ownership to what was mine. I couldn't take it any longer and spent an afternoon administering mouth to mouth resuscitation to the rest of my plants in the way of a good dousing.
She dove at me repeatedly but I got the job done.
And this week she is gone. The babies grew fast as all babies do. We witnessed it through the dining room window. Soon they were ready to experience the world beyond my planter and porch on Norway Drive.
Now I sit on the porch as long as I want and wander in and out of the front door without any fear of an aerial attack.
It's just not the same.
