Easter Nests... and Eggs 





Happy Easter! Cherry blossom and young shoots, birds singing in strident competition and displaying about birdfeeders... territories being set up with prime nest sites. Spring is here... more or less, maybe a bit intermittently in between the cold snaps! Birds will be searching for nest material. Great Tits:

 


and a nest of a pair of them






 

The story behind the intrusive photos of their nest is that last Spring, the nest box was on the trunk of a large walnut tree. The parent birds were in and out of the nest and all seemed well until crows and jackdaws descended on the tree to feast on the walnut catkins. Soon after, the Great Tits disappeared, leaving broken and entire eggs... Easter eggs that never hatched. Looking closely, the volume of nesting material, its variety and selection, and the intricacies of transporting by flight and then carefully placing take one’s breath away. The long hairs are probably hair from local horses. The lurid luminous green fibres came from a tennis ball (not ours!)... birds are definitely opportunists when seeking out their raw materials, although the ball’s matted surface had to be ‘processed’!

 




Birds can be equally original in their choice of nest sites – robins using old kettles, or squeeze a nest in at the back of garden tarpaulins (recycled old shower curtains) stored in an ancient freezer basket.

 







Nest style, detail, and skill of construction varies with the type of bird. Some years ago, I challenged my Wildlife Watch children to construct nests – 3 or 4 children per nest, collecting, transporting and placing, mimicking robin, blackbird and the heaped twig nests of crows. They all agreed their achievements did not begin to compare with the expertise of the birds, even though they as humans, had the advantage of an opposed thumb and manipulative skills! 

 

Wildlife Gardening Tips:

 

Increasingly birds are incorporating bits of plastic, polyester fibres (there are some in tennis balls) into their constructions – a reminder of what is now easily available besides the ‘traditional’ bark, leaves, animal hair, moss, grass, twigs, feathers. I shall be replacing the recycled discarded baler twine securing the kettle with natural garden string – jute fibres rather than plastic.

 

You can make life easier for your garden nest builders by leaving moss, fresh/dried leftovers from Christmas bulb bowls. Also dried grass, human and animal hair (as long as NOT treated with chemical flea and tick deterrents). Feathers shed from feather pillow... and they will even use short lengths of human hair following an amateur hair cut in the garden!

 

Ideally nest boxes should be in place by now, but here is advice from RSPB:

Nest boxes should ideally face between north and east to avoid direct sunlight and wet winds. Place boxes 3–5 meters high on trees or walls for most species, though open-fronted boxes for robins/wrens should be lower (under 2m) and hidden in vegetation. 

RSPBRSPB

  • Height: Small-hole boxes (25–32mm) for tits, sparrows, and starlings should be 3-5m high on trees or walls.
  • Aspect: North-east is best to prevent overheating; avoid south-facing positions.
  • Security: Tilt the box slightly forward so the roof protects the entrance from rain.
  • Protection: Position away from, or put spikey clippings around to discourage, predators like cats and squirrels.
  • Types:
    • House Sparrows/Starlings: High under house eaves.
    • Robins/Wrens: Low, well-hidden in shrubs.
    • Swifts: High, 5m+ under eaves with clear, unobstructed fly-paths.
  • Timing: Autumn is best for putting up boxes to allow birds to find them for winter shelter and spring nesting. 

RSPBRSPB

Do not place boxes too close to bird feeders, as the activity can disturb nesting pairs. 

 

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Credits: Wildlife Garden Photos: 1- 12 Nicolette Scourse 13,14,15, Radio Times 


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