Expert: Roger Lederer - 6/16/2010

Question
Today ( 15 Jun 10) my wife noticed a robin's nest in a hanging flower basket on our front porch. We guess it's a robin because there is a single blue egg inside. Our question is, can we continue to water the flowers, or will the robin abandon the nest and egg? Also, is it unusual for a robin to lay eggs this late? I have been reading that they lay their eggs in April. We live in eastern PA.

Answer
I have had lots of questions about this very subject, although it's usually not a robin. It could also be a starling as their eggs are blue as well, but a darker blue than a robin. You can water the flowers if you don't do it too often. Too much disturbance and they will abandon the nest. I usually recommend that you water from the bottom (put a pot full of water under the basket and dip the bottom of the basket in it) if you can.
This is not too late at all. They (starlings and robins) might begin to nest in April, but they will nest late into the summer if conditions are good. They might even nest two or three times.