Read the latest gardening and allotment articles ..... or write your own for everyone else to enjoy! They can be anything from gardening tips or book reviews to your favourite recipes.
Close encounters of an avian kind!
Strange nesting places.
Nests are constructed by the hen only, in hollows on the ground, between roots, in holes in walls, a shed or even an old tin, watering can or discarded kettle! There can be two or three broods a year with the first clutch being laid in March or April. One year I was amazed to discover a clutch of five beautiful, pale speckled eggs nestling within a moss-lined nest between the flowers in one of my hanging baskets! It took great care and ingenuity to water the plants without wetting the eggs and nest! We were privileged to be able to observe the female Robin incubating them and all five eggs successfully hatched. However, two of the hatchlings were thrown out of the nest and, after a couple of weeks, sadly, the rest succumbed during a very cold spell.
Comments
Message from PattyMac
Posted on 04th April 2009
Thanks for your appreciative comments. Indeed, Grafter, and it's not only our gardens but also our lives that are enriched by birds and wildlife!
Message from Grafter
Posted on 04th April 2009
Lovely observations, Patty. Where would our gardens be without the robin & blackbird?
Message from Mudwoman
Posted on 03rd April 2009
A lovely article. We have our residents too. This year the back garden Billies look as though they are nesting in next doors Pyracantha against the fence, while the front garden pair have settled on the Bay tree this year. Other favoured sites include the Pittosporum, Solanum crispin Glasnevin, and Viburnum tinus. i have not spotted a robin nest yet, but they can't be far away as we usually have young ones about later in the year.
Please log in to post a comment
