Garden birds nesting activity.

The local birds certainly think spring is here - despite the gale force winds and hail! I've watched a Robin building a nest right at the base of a shrub among some ground cover plants and when I checked there were five eggs in a beautifully hidden nest at ground level. These hatched successfully but unfortunately the nest was predated before the young fledged

As Robins are very territorial I was surprised to find a second nest in a previously ignored nest box on our garden wall only a few metres from the first nest. The sitting bird flew out when I routinely checked all the garden nest boxes. 

This 2nd nest ended up with 6 eggs & six young hatched and will hopefully soon be fledging.

Brood of 6 healthy Robins

Several pairs of Blue & Great Tits are on eggs and this pair spent quite some time exploring this box on an old ivy covered tree stump. Lovely to see this activity so close from the comfort and warmth of the study! 

Every year Blackbirds attempt to nest early in the garden and every year they get predated. Later clutches seem to be more successful as the nests seem to be better hidden once all the shrubs are in full leaf. This nest was 30 cm above the ground in a holly bush but very exposed. I didn't think it would last long - it didn't! But not for the reason I thought. I came home the other day and found a sad little pile of brown female Blackbird feathers 2m from the nest. It looks like she got taken by a Sparrowhawk.

We've a Tawny Owl box on an old oak in the back garden. A Barn Owl roosted in it last spring and the year before that Jackdaws nested but abandoned the clutch of four eggs. This year Stock Doves have been checking it out.

If they do nest the box will probably have to be fumigated at the end of the season! 

Although not quite garden birds pour local pair of Little Owls can be seen from the garden and seem to be fairly settled in their preferred oak after having seen off the unwelcome attentions of Grey Squirrels, Stock Doves and a pair of Jackdaws.

Hopefully our garden nesters will have a successful breeding season.