Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The Hairy Eyeball

Have you ever had anyone give you the "hairy eyeball"?  You know...that look that involves a stare down with a squint? The one that says: "Back off buddy!"  Purse the lips along with it and you have a good idea of what I mean.  I have a basket with flowers that hangs on a  hook over my front storm door.  Well, it has a tenant.  A Mrs. Robin Red Breast to be exact.  It's quite the homestead.  It looks like it was built with cement and maybe sporting a lower level!  The problem with that is,  it makes using the front door impossible....not without getting the "hairy eyeball" from her.  Let me show you:
Here's the little love nest.  See the pretty blue eggs? (I had to take this through the storm door window.  The builder of this dream home made a mess out of the window!)
Opening the door makes Momma bird super upset.  Her language is not fit for little ones! (If I spoke "Robin" I'm sure I would be blushing!)  She's loud and will also resort to dive bombing if necessary.  Just getting this shot had her hopping mad!
First she yells!
Then the "hairy eyeball"!
Then the "hairy eyeball" again.  Ok, I get it...I shut the front door and went about my business.  In the computer room I looked out the window and saw this giving me the "look" again!
Maybe I'm just paranoid.

20 comments:

Shady Del Knight said...

I think you are doing the right and humane thing by trying not to disturb the mother robin while she goes about her business of hatching her eggs and getting her young ready for flight. Yes, it will be a temporary inconvenience for you and visitors to your home, but you will be giving mother nature a helping hand. Mrs. Shady and I had the same situation a few years ago. A mother bird laid eggs in our large containerized snake plant which we kept on the front porch. We couldn't go in or out of the house without spooking the mother and causing her to fly away. We were concerned that she might become discouraged and abandon the nest, so we used the back door for a couple of weeks until the young had flown the coop.

I hope it works out for you, dear YaYa. Maybe in a couple weeks you can show us pictures of the hatchings. Bless you, dear friend!

Julia said...

Hahaha, the hairy eyeball.A good thing that you have another exit or you'd be in trouble. lol...

I had the same thing happen to us last spring. The bird built the nest on top of the light fixture and my husband left the light on and the bird left to built another nest in another place. She didn't lay her eggs in it thank goodness.

I hope that the family will vacate the sight soon.
Hugs,
JB

Kim said...

LOL. She does look like she is giving you "the business". Well at least you have a front row seat when the babies hatch.

Willow said...

Oh ha ha ~ I DO know that hairy eyeball look !
I have been getting it myself from MS. Robin course it doesn't help that her baby follows me around and begs ! lol

Rick Watson said...

Ouch. It looks like she means business. I think I'd use my back door for a while :)

Sweet Tea said...

You're being watched.
You have a Stalker.
You may need to get a restraining order to get that hairy-eye-balled creature move on. (Loved the photos!)

Stacy said...

Funny.
We had a nest on our front porch one year too. We got dive bombed on many occasions going to the car, because I wasn't going out the back door and up the alley.

It was about six weeks before the babies flew the coop!

Scriptor Senex said...

We have a Blackbird's nest in the Clematis alongside our passageway into the back garden. There are eggs in it but Mummy and Daddy totally ignore us as we walk past. I think they are trying to pretend there's nothing worth investigating there.

gin said...

Looks like there is a new boss at Whispering Pines, at least temporary!

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Looks like a definite "Don't mess with my nest!" look. :) Those eggs are just beautiful, aren't they? I haven't seen a robin since I lived in Oregon as a child!

rjerdee said...

You're not paranoid. I had a springtime incident with a robin, her babies, and her mate. He's really quite the furious one!!! Gotta protect his offspring, you know...

PoetessWug said...

Ha! Ha! Ha!...I never heard it called the 'hairy eyeball'!! ^_^ It's a fitting description though....and you were DEFINITELY getting the hairy eyeball!! LOL Just be thankful it wasn't a 'missing' eyeball! ^_^

selvageedge said...

Beautiful nest! And good of you to leave it intact. A few years back some birds nested in a gorgeous hanging basket of geraniums that Tom got me for my birthday. I didn't want to water the babies, so by the time they flew off, my beautiful flowers were not so pretty anymore. Too bad about the mess she's leaving on your door. Ick!

Hilary said...

Ha.. poor you. But you'll enjoy seeing the little ones. Two weeks from nesting to laying. Two weeks from laying to hatching. Two weeks from hatching to fledgling. At least that's how it was at my place a couple of years in a row. Both times, they were born on Mother's Day.

I love the photo of the eggs.. so pretty.

Barb said...

I hope the babies are as pretty as the eggs and have sweet temperaments just like Mom. Congratulations on your POTW.

Tabor said...

What a lucky if inconvenient experience!! Keep the photos coming and keep your sense of humor.

TexWisGirl said...

oh, she's got sass! congrats on your POTW at hilary's!

Rosaria Williams said...

Ohhh...
You get a close-up view of a world we hardly notice any more.

joeh said...

I learned all about the Hairy Eyeball from my ex-wife.

You are right to leave momma alone, but maybe change your door decoration next year.

Donna said...

Have had that experience of dive bombing myself. Scary! Cute post, you made me giggle....you always do.