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A robin (or two, if that’s the way it works) is building a nest in the parasol and parasol cover I store next to my house.
Has happened in only a few days, we’re positive it’s a robin as it’s been found in the garage when the rear door is open, which is next to it. Also seeing them a LOT on the decking
Couple of problems
1 - I’d actually like to use the parasol, though would consider not, however...
2 - if we come out of lockdown anytime soon we’re having some work done in our garden and this will all have to be moved
It’s only been there a few days but it’s clearly been working hard. We see it (or them if there are two) regularly
Anyone know how this works?
- Will it be one or two of them?
- If I move it presumably that’s end of the nest? If not how can I move it safely?
- If the nest goes will it/they be able to build one somewhere else ok?
- Is it a ‘home’ or somewhere to lay eggs? If the latter, how long till they lay eggs?
It’s nice they’re there, and if they could go somewhere where they would be less disturbed that would be great (it’s in the undercover passage to access the back of the garage)
Can’t help I’m afraid, but share your dilemma. We have a bees nest in the garden, wife wants them exterminated, I think we should leave them. Only a family of mason bees so harmless. But she’s worried about how many there will be once the eggs hatch.
Sorry off topic.
It'll be two robins but they look the same. We have a couple of boxes and get them nesting most years. They don't stay in the nest long. Maybe a few weeks. This year's batch fledged last week and moved to a hedge behind the shed. I'd leave it if you can. Maybe put a box up next year, somewhere sheltered, so you have some say in where they set up
Ah, Robin's Nest (don't forget the apostrophe otherwise the grammar police will be knocking on your door lol ;-)).
But it was a great TV series, Tessa Wyatt was cute!
Sorry, can't help with any feathered bird-related stuff.
Wildlife and countryside act 1981
All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and it is thus an offence, with certain exceptions (see Exceptions), to: Intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird. Intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built.
Also, rule 1. About harmless bees too, there's precious little of those to go round.
I’ve got one in the house from last year with an egg still in it. Found it when clearing ivy of the garage a few weeks ago. It’s a beautiful thing. No idea about moving it but when I was at the MOD we had house martins build a nest under the eves of our unit. The nest fell down with young chicks in it. We raided the darkroom and took one of the old beehive safe lights and took the filter and light fitting out of it, screwed it to the wall and put the nest in it. Parents came back and kept feeding the young and they all survived. It’s probably still up there.
Gonna have to work around the robins, I’m afraid. As far as the parasol’s concerned, just buy another one, they’re cheap, and it never hurts to have a couple, I’ve got two, and it’s much better when there’s two of us in the garden, the one we used to have was never enough.
As regards the bees, they absolutely should be left alone, they’re perfectly harmless if not interfered with, and you should be trying to encourage more. We’ve had bumblebees around looking for nesting spots, and while I was in Aldi today I noticed they’re selling bee and insect hotels, quite big ones for £6, so I’m hoping that’ll encourage more of them to nest in my garden. Thing is, they’re not communal insects like honeybees, they make tiny nests with only a few young, and do nothing but good.
Bees are awesome, been seeing a few kicking about in the good weather recently. Should see about somewhere to hang their hotel I found when clearing the shed.
Next door has sparrows under the tiles at both sides of the house, council removed the slate years ago and put concrete tiles on but they stand proud of my roof (terraced houses mixed ownership) so they build nests at the bottom where our gutters have grass growing at the stops. Never noticed the one at the back until today.
They might not use it - just be patient and collect parasol later this year. Congratulations when the grandweans arrive!
Robins raise several broods each year, from mid March to early/mid July if conditions are right. The female sits on the eggs for about a fortnight, and the chicks take about three weeks to fledge and fly. SO in a good year they'll have up to four broods.
They build a new nest for each brood, but will abandon it and start again somewhere else if disturbed.
We've got great tits building a nest in a crevice under the roof outside our bedroom window.
I've read they can have about 12 chicks so going to be seriously noisy when they arrive!
See if you can get advice from the RSPB?
Re the bees nest. We had a massive nest behind a sleeper wall I had built for a few years. The wall was going so I tried the local bee clubs to try to get someone to take it away. Absolutely no interest.
In the end thought it would be destroyed until one of the landscapers we had round to quote told me he keeps bees and was never going to destroy it. He got the job. Braver man than me to put a box of slightly sleepy bees in his transit van and head off to where he keeps his hives!!
This is to the right of my front door:
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It’s been there for a year now (the nest, not the birds, they’ve only just returned).
I’ve learned to live with it.
Take a photo of the young when they hatch and we can have a definitive position on whether bird identification challenges are, indeed, baby robins.
Take a photo of the young
But keep them away from hamishthecat 😊
This weather won't last long enough to need the parasol. As for lockdown, I've no idea.
Ours have nested in a hedge. From the activity, think they are feeding the babies at the moment. I reckon they'll be gone in 2-3 weeks, so before lockdown ends
Enjoy the robins they are cheeky chaps.
Build some bird boxes for them .. Google for ideas.
Get some bird food ...
Sit out and have a coffee with them.
Build some bird boxes for them .. Google for ideas.
Get some bird food …Sit out and have a coffee with them.
Is building them their own picnic table table going too far? I might have been cooped up too long!
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Thanks all, useful info here
Will leave them be, and maybe move the security camera so we can keep an eye on them!
All our garden waste is piled up in trugs and bags so they've been helping themselves. I'd leave some food out but there's a squirrel nest (or whatever their home is called) being built at the back of the garden and they're regular visitors. Don't want to encourage them, they're digging up the pots...
Parasol has been used a few times this year already, it's sunny down in London 😁
there’s a squirrel nest (or whatever their home is called)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QFcv5Ma8u8k
I was just going to suggest putting a camera up so you could see what's going on. We've got a few bird boxes in the garden, some with cameras in them linked to a screen in the kitchen so the boss can watch things as they develop.
Is building them their own picnic table table going too far? I might have been cooped up too long!
Or that’s one giant robin! 🙂
We have robins nesting in a low wall underneath our hawthorn hedge (well, mostly hawthorn, but also some rose). The hedge is a PITA to maintain as it borders a public footpath on the other side but we keep it going because it attracts a lot of birds. The pruning cuttings are still waiting on the patio to be disposed of because garden waste collections have stopped. Still, they were put to good use during nest building and the to-ing and fro-ing amused our (indoor) cats for a bit.
But keep them away from hamishthecat 😊
😁
Quick update on this. Nest is going strong. At least two chicks in there, which to be honest look about the size of their parent(s)!
Moved the camera to have a good view, the chicks chirp away, you can hear them from the garage. We found a dead chick outside the back door, not sure if it was a baby robin or another bird. Might have been caught by a cat? We don't have any pets at the mo. Thought our nest might have been decimated but all good!
Real baby robins?
Singletrack lockdown just got more Singletrack...
Pictures required!
Wasn’t me.
Glad you left the nest and have now got chicks. We’ve had a Thrush nest behind our shed. The parents were shit builders as all three chicks fell out. One of them died, so the family and I made lots of little secure areas around the garden where the other two could hide. Worked a treat, the parents kept feeding and the chicks could bounce around a few little hiding places. Both have now flown 😊
Good work Ben and Funky!