Nesting Robins

[twenty]

11 hours ago, WalkedUp said:

Mixed news... the compost bag nest has been abandoned and the robins hadn’t been seen all week. However today they’ve been spotted again, the hen is incubating a clutch in the nest box. Very happy. The old fortifications we built around the previous nest screen the new nest very well. 

Think it is time to give them some peace and quiet. 

A good result all round, well done 👍

[WalkedUp]

On 02/05/2021 at 07:40, gmm243 said:

I went to move a cement mixer yesterday and a wagtail flew out from under the cover.Thinking it a bit strange I opened it,there is a nest with 6 eggs sitting on top of the engine... No mixing for this machine for a while.

Have tried to attach a photo but it says it is too big and I am not technically minded enough to be able to shrink it.

 

That’s exciting, I hope they’ve returned to the nest. 

Our robin hen abandoned her vigil on Friday morning as one of the rabbits disturbed the nest flushing her out. We shooed the rabbit away and has an anxious wait for her return. They boys are very excited about the prospect of chicks and so it was a fretful day. My friend hatches 1000s of pheasant eggs for his shoot and my eldest wanted me to commandeer one of their incubators incase the hen didn’t return. Thankfully she’s back incubating today (visible from a distance) so all should be well.

The blue tit pair are hard at work darting between the meal worms and nest all day without rest. Woodpecker is ok the peanuts nesting in a dead tree at the edge of the pond. I feel we are now reaping the rewards of planting so many native trees and controlling predators. The black thing was set in ambush earlier so I slipped the dogs and it was in for quite the footrace across the field of wheat shoots. I had my whistle pressed to lips ready if the head start had got too close for comfort. (They are not allowed to chase unless instructed). Had a magpie land in the oak tree at the bottom of the garden earlier, opening the window flushed it. So I’m currently sat waiting for it’s return. Think it is gone but I’ll have to set a fake nest ambush before it gets too comfortable visiting here. 

[gmm243]

Our Wagtail is still in residence and sitting on the eggs.I have left her alone but took a peak in yesterday and there she was.

On  sadder note a local farmer sprayed a field of dandelions yesterday (Not sure what with).My bees have been feeding in this field for weeks and making a lot of honey.Sadly they must have brought it back to the hive and then I came back from work I noticed there was no traffic outside the hive even though the weather was warm. On inspection  of the hive there was a lot of dead bees outside and the inside was a ball of dead or dying bees including the queen.A lot of the brood seems to have died too-prob due to the getting cold.

There are some bees left alive in the hive but not many.I took some day old eggs out of another hive in a vain hope they might produce a queen and all would not be lost but I feel it is a really long shot.

If I had known he was spraying i would have closed them in for the day but sadly this farmer is not one I know.

[twenty]

9 minutes ago, gmm243 said:

Our Wagtail is still in residence and sitting on the eggs.I have left her alone but took a peak in yesterday and there she was.

On  sadder note a local farmer sprayed a field of dandelions yesterday (Not sure what with).My bees have been feeding in this field for weeks and making a lot of honey.Sadly they must have brought it back to the hive and then I came back from work I noticed there was no traffic outside the hive even though the weather was warm. On inspection  of the hive there was a lot of dead bees outside and the inside was a ball of dead or dying bees including the queen.A lot of the brood seems to have died too-prob due to the getting cold.

There are some bees left alive in the hive but not many.I took some day old eggs out of another hive in a vain hope they might produce a queen and all would not be lost but I feel it is a really long shot.

If I had known he was spraying i would have closed them in for the day but sadly this farmer is not one I know.

What a shame, gutted for you mate.

[Mice!]

On 02/05/2021 at 07:40, gmm243 said:

I went to move a cement mixer yesterday and a wagtail flew out from under the cover.Thinking it a bit strange I opened it,there is a nest with 6 eggs sitting on top of the engine... No mixing for this machine for a while.

Have tried to attach a photo but it says it is too big and I am not technically minded enough to be able to shrink it.

 

If you can do a screenshot post that,  they take up less space. 

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, gmm243 said:

If I had known he was spraying i would have closed them in for the day but sadly this farmer is not one I know.

I didn't think sprays were supposed to effect bees? Might be worth speaking to the farmer.

[gmm243]

I think he could have been using something that was lying in his shed for a few years.

I gathered up all the dead bees and went through them to find the queen which I sadly did.It is a real kick in the teeth but the damage is now done.

Tried the screen shot,it worked perfectly-thanks.

 

Have attached a view of the nest and sadly the remains of my bees.

[39TDS]

Sounds a bit dramatic to say sorry for your loss but I am all the same.

Would be interested to know what he sprayed and also why. What was the crop meant to be because dandelions aren't a crop and I know of no weedkillers that would also get bees. It could be his sprayer had some insecticide left over from previous operations.

No doubt the farmer would be defensive if asked but he might tell you.

 

I am a farmer and I go out of my way not to kill bees but I have no doubt there have been times I have done so by accident.

[WalkedUp]

Gutted about your bees but at least your wagtail is happy, a small consolation.

My wife texted me whilst I was at the pub yesterday to say that she’s worried about the jays and I needed to come home and shoot them. I came back but only in time for a magpie. As I was preparing to shoot it the big local crow chased it off and took its place in my scope. 

[WalkedUp]

[Jim Neal]

Called away from the pub!!  I'd be teaching her to use the rifle... 😂

[gmm243]

21 hours ago, 39TDS said:

Sounds a bit dramatic to say sorry for your loss but I am all the same.

Would be interested to know what he sprayed and also why. What was the crop meant to be because dandelions aren't a crop and I know of no weedkillers that would also get bees. It could be his sprayer had some insecticide left over from previous operations.

No doubt the farmer would be defensive if asked but he might tell you.

 

I am a farmer and I go out of my way not to kill bees but I have no doubt there have been times I have done so by accident.

I am not sure what he was trying to do.There was no crop on the field bar grass for silage,we do not have many cereals grown here.

We have had more dandelions here this year than I have ever seen but I am not sure why they would be sprayed off when the field is only to be cut for silage. One of the men I was chatting to said he had told him he was spraying them off but again that is second hand information and may not have lost anything in the telling.

I will send a sample of the dead bees off tomorrow for analysis and will be interested to see what comes back.In the meantime I will be searching out as many swarms as I can to try and build up my stocks again.

 

[39TDS]

I don't know of any chemicals that would be used to kill weeds (dandelions) that would also kill bees. If for some reason he had some insecticide left in his tank it might be enough to cause such a disaster. One of the problems farmers face is that so many chemicals have been withdrawn from use (banned as the media like to call it) that there is a very limited selection of insecticides left, of those there are very few if any that are bee friendly. Generally speaking the insecticides left are absolutely lethal to bees, and all other insects be they good or bad.

The neonicotinoids were supposedly going to replace the organophosphates that used to be the most usual choice but it turned out they apparently harmed bees. Not all of them did, some were claimed to be completely harmless to bees but they fell under the umbrella of the blanket ban. Unfortunately the remaining choices are mostly pyrethroids, they kill everything and I personally won't use them because they do more harm than good by killing beneficial insects as well as the target pest.

[old'un]

On 08/05/2021 at 18:41, gmm243 said:

Our Wagtail is still in residence and sitting on the eggs.I have left her alone but took a peak in yesterday and there she was.

On  sadder note a local farmer sprayed a field of dandelions yesterday (Not sure what with).My bees have been feeding in this field for weeks and making a lot of honey.Sadly they must have brought it back to the hive and then I came back from work I noticed there was no traffic outside the hive even though the weather was warm. On inspection  of the hive there was a lot of dead bees outside and the inside was a ball of dead or dying bees including the queen.A lot of the brood seems to have died too-prob due to the getting cold.

There are some bees left alive in the hive but not many.I took some day old eggs out of another hive in a vain hope they might produce a queen and all would not be lost but I feel it is a really long shot.

If I had known he was spraying i would have closed them in for the day but sadly this farmer is not one I know.

I don't keep bees but I have a friend who does, talking to him yesterday he said your bees may have been poisoned with pesticide, if you have good eyesight can you see lots of dead bees with their tongues out? Which is a sign of poisoning, If you want to send them in for testing, collect as many bees as you can, preferably ones just dying and freeze them as soon as possible, also freeze any combs with pollen stores.

Pesticide dissipates very quickly and samples must be frozen as soon as possible to preserve the integrity of the chemicals.

have you ruled out varroa?

Do you only have the one hive?

[gmm243]

I only have one hive at this location,there are more at my parents house which are fine.

 

Lots of bees with their tongues out and I have stored some for sampling.Never though to freeze them, will put them in the freezer now.

I have three frames out with brood which have dead bees in them as well.Usuallt dead bees in the cells is a sign of starvation but they were fine on Thurs, have lots of honey both capped and uncapped to feed from so I can only think that poisoning is the only other option.

Am sending the sample away in the morning so hopefully it will not take too long to come back to me.

[WalkedUp]

We have chicks now! 

[twenty]

Good for you, well done, keep your eyes and ears open for Cats and Corvids.

[Nial]

Interesting thread.

About 10 years ago I unthinkingly put up a Robin nest box quite high on an exposed south facing wall. It's fairly well covered with clematis now but we've never had anything nesting in it. We are overrun with corvids and several neighbours have cats.

The box needs moved, what's the best place for it (lower down on a north facing wall?), and how do I protect it from predators?

Thanks for any input.

[WalkedUp]

On 10/05/2021 at 17:41, gmm243 said:

Am sending the sample away in the morning so hopefully it will not take too long to come back to me.

Any news on the bees? 🐝🐝🐝

[gmm243]

3 hours ago, WalkedUp said:

Any news on the bees? 🐝🐝🐝

No good news sadly.

I sent away a sample but haven't heard anything back yet.Am away trout fishing tomorrow until Monday so hopefully will have heard by the time I return.

My dad and I took a frame with day old eggs on it and put it into the hive to see could the few remaining bees produce a queen cell but no joy.Dit the same again last evening and I will check when I get back.It is a very long shot but may as well try before they die out.

Strangely enough the bees were very quiet and docile up until the time the lost the queen and the vast proportion of them.Now you can hardly go near them.I must not have done my suit up properly and got two inside my veil,2 stings within an inch of my eye resulting in a closed eye and swollen  face for most of today and I also got a lot of stings on my right wrist which has gone up like a balloon from wrist to elbow and is both painful and itchy.Usually I get a very mild reaction,sometimes nothing but last night was completely the opposite.Hopefully the pain will be away by tomorrow or 4 days fly fishing might be difficult.

[Mice!]

31 minutes ago, gmm243 said:

Strangely enough the bees were very quiet and docile up until the time the lost the queen and the vast proportion of them.Now you can hardly go near them.I must not have done my suit up properly and got two inside my veil,2 stings within an inch of my eye resulting in a closed eye and swollen  face for most of today and I also got a lot of stings on my right wrist which has gone up like a balloon from wrist to elbow and is both painful and itchy.Usually I get a very mild reaction,sometimes nothing but last night was completely the opposite.Hopefully the pain will be away by tomorrow or 4 days fly fishing might be difficult.

That's not what you want when you're off to the river, tight lines.

 

14 hours ago, WalkedUp said:

We have chicks now! 

Very nice, we've got blackbird chicks all over the place at the moment,  with the kids on moggy watch.

[twenty]

19 hours ago, Nial said:

Interesting thread.

About 10 years ago I unthinkingly put up a Robin nest box quite high on an exposed south facing wall. It's fairly well covered with clematis now but we've never had anything nesting in it. We are overrun with corvids and several neighbours have cats.

The box needs moved, what's the best place for it (lower down on a north facing wall?), and how do I protect it from predators?

Thanks for any input.

May I point you to a useful source of info......How to get a Robin to use a nest box, birds Life .co.uk.

Good luck.

[JDog]

This is my Robins nesting box built in ten minutes with ex pallet wood.

Sadly we rarely get a visit by a Robin in our garden and it remains unused this year.

[twenty]

5 minutes ago, JDog said:

This is my Robins nesting box built in ten minutes with ex pallet wood.

Sadly we rarely get a visit by a Robin in our garden and it remains unused this year.

Robins can be so fickle, can see no reason why they would not use your nestbox, but i've had Robins and Blackbirds nest in my garden shed over the last few years, simply by leaving the door ajar by a couple of inches, ignoring the nest box in the garden.

[NatureBoy]

Have wrote about my robins before. I think they think they own me/ are family/imprinted linage. Been resident and nest in my garden ever since i have lived here,28yrs. Nest close as possible, usually in ivy on house, window reveal or by soil pipe. So close, them and their young can see hear and watch me all the time. They can even watch and hear TV Sometimes. Great for educating folk as can often see in nest and sit within six feet, watch them raise young and see what they bring to nest. They got the hump with me this year as i had trimmed ivy and it didn't grow back quick enough because of cold and frosts. So they nested in an old rotten nest box i had chucked on top of a stack of flower pots intending to repair. Got to chick stage and was predated by jackdaws (almost like corvids learn to harvest chicks to maximise food source/predation?) that were raiding garden in dry weather. Robins on second attempt now nesting tucked well back up near soffit in ivy on a shed. Them and blackbirds both started their second attempts nesting there after they were both predated at chick stage same day, but now were nesting within 3ft of each other. I didn't think they would tolerate each other and  both started sitting. But blackbirds abandoned after 3 of 5 eggs disappeared. I wonder if it was the robins? Their nest still within 10ft of back door but they acting different, like i have let them down. Or maybe because i have male sparrow hawk visiting garden? Them or their parents successfully raised 3 broods last year. At times building and laying in second nest while still feeding young. Sitting again 3 days after young fledging. Leaving fledglings to be fed mainly by male. So they are way behind this year, like many other garden birds seem to be. Dunnocks just keep banging them out though. Another pair of blackbirds have young about to fledge nest on front porch.  . . . Last year was a record year in my garden for nesting birds. 11 species successfully raised at least one brood, some a third. I am wondering if it was down to covid? I and other folk nearby at home more so fewer predators dare visit gardens or for so long?  . . . . My garden nowt special. Sheds, shrubs, ivy and 12 "boxes". . . . I feed all year round while birds take it. They really hammering it at mo. Again many be covid effect? I am thinking it because many folk have stopped feeding/caring because they are allowed out again? It still hunger gap and unusual Spring! Important to keep feeding if you are! Plus plenty of clean water important to. A little bit of the right habit, in right place can do a lot for nature. . . .  Single turtle dove, pair of blackcaps and a spotted flycatcher visited/about this week. Interesting peps still reporting seeing yellow hammers flocked up.      NB