Expert: Roger Lederer - 7/27/2009

Question
I have two questions? I have a Robins nest that was built on top of a wreath on my front door. Due to previous heavy winds and rain this month I put a baby mattress under the nest in case it fell so they wouldn't land on the hard ground and be more likely to survive. Luckily there were no mishaps.After several weeks of  successfully insuring that few used the door and gave the birds their privacy, early yesterday two of the fledglings left the nest. Later that afternoon I noticed the third in a corner of the deck just sitting there for about an hour. Finally I watched the bird dispel some droppings and then it started to move about and finally left. It was amazing to watch the whole process from start to finish. My question is will they be using this nest still for a few days or can I remove it?  

I would love to keep the nest but the danger of being attacked by birds if the door is used is too much of a risk. One day I had the door open and was watching the mother bird collect worms. She noticed me and started chirping, I continued to watch her to my left when out of the blue another robin came swooping in at me from the right to scare me away from the nest. It was a startling experience but gave me more understanding as to how these birds protect their young.
Second question? Could this other bird be the father bird? We were curious?  
Needless to say I have an empty feeling now that they are gone. Guess its the empty nest syndrome.  
Thanks for any additional info you may be able to add.

Answer
You can move the nest if the birds have left it, but they might use it again, so leave it for a week or so. Yes, both parents are protective of the nest and will try to deter predators by flying at them but they are perfectly harmless to humans, so no need to be afraid. Glad you enjoyed the process.