Nesting Robins

[twenty]

1 hour ago, NatureBoy said:

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 

I have had no uptake of any of my boxes this year, a pair of blue tits started to build in one  of them, then abandoned it..........The great tits that used one of the other boxes have not shown up for 2 years now, house sparrows have normally used the boxes intended for them, but not this year.

Never mind, Robin, Blackbird and dunnock have succeeded to fledgling stage.....fingers crossed they survive to see summer, although we too have a regular Sparrowhawk that skims the area, young Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Starling and Robin are all regular visitors at the moment, taking advantage of every morsel I put out, currently feeding mealworm, sunflower hearts, niger, and black sunflower, plus a seed mix on ground feeder.

Fresh water is also very popular for bathing at the moment, had 6 Starlings at once in the bird bath recently......also 2 small ponds are very well used in the garden.

Jackdaws have bred very well this year but the look of it, any large scraps put out are annihilated in minutes, but they are a comical bird to watch, as they cram as much as possible into their cheeks, before returning to base. 

All the best.

[NatureBoy]

53 minutes ago, twenty said:

I have had no uptake of any of my boxes this year, a pair of blue tits started to build in one  of them, then abandoned it..........The great tits that used one of the other boxes have not shown up for 2 years now, house sparrows have normally used the boxes intended for them, but not this year.

Never mind, Robin, Blackbird and dunnock have succeeded to fledgling stage.....fingers crossed they survive to see summer, although we too have a regular Sparrowhawk that skims the area, young Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Starling and Robin are all regular visitors at the moment, taking advantage of every morsel I put out, currently feeding mealworm, sunflower hearts, niger, and black sunflower, plus a seed mix on ground feeder.

Fresh water is also very popular for bathing at the moment, had 6 Starlings at once in the bird bath recently......also 2 small ponds are very well used in the garden.

Jackdaws have bred very well this year but the look of it, any large scraps put out are annihilated in minutes, but they are a comical bird to watch, as they cram as much as possible into their cheeks, before returning to base. 

All the best.

Same here. Seems strange no blue or great tits nesting. They were roosting in boxes all winter to. It will be grim, as it seems weather has caused them to abandon nest attempts this year. Predator pressure is off a bit my way since we have had some much needed rain and got better leaf cover. Lot of the corvids have nested and left nest early to may help. Only 3 nests in rookery near mine this year. . . I have cut back on feeders at mine, instead encouraged/educated others nearby to feed more better and same mix to spread birds out a bit. Less disease, predator pressure and it all help educate folk. Though some still say we shouldn't feed at all? . . . Every one feeds different in garden and field. I keep it simple for both. Use and adapt a wildbird mix called No waste from Charnwood Milling Company. Great mix and genuinely no waste. Lot of small seeds in it. Turtle doves yellow hammers and english parts like it so it'l do me. £18.00 for 20kg less if you buy more than 10 bags. Just that and peanut feeder generally. Never been big fan of meal worms or fat balls. Especially in warm wet weather. Great when fresh. . . . . Do you like jackdaws? Characters but major predator my way and nest and garden raider. Regardless what "experts" say. They big threat to any turtle dove success. Control them where and when i can. Noticing far to many big gulls in land at mo. Covid or WJ effect? Or both? Certainly noticing less skylarks about because of.  . . . Good to see Martin Down Farm Super Cluster on Countryfile last week. Bit of proper conservation success. They even spoke of GWCT.           NB  

[WalkedUp]

I’m feeding seed mix, fat balls, peanuts and rehydrated meal worms. The robins sort themselves out though in the veg patch looking for earthworms and caterpillars. 

[WalkedUp]

Sad news ...

 

The blue tits hadn’t been seen so assumed fledged. No sign of them at all for a few days so had a look in the next box. 8 starved chicks. Looks like the dog patrols were not enough to keep them safe 😔

Next time no head start. 

[twenty]

1 hour ago, NatureBoy said:

Same here. Seems strange no blue or great tits nesting. They were roosting in boxes all winter to. It will be grim, as it seems weather has caused them to abandon nest attempts this year. Predator pressure is off a bit my way since we have had some much needed rain and got better leaf cover. Lot of the corvids have nested and left nest early to may help. Only 3 nests in rookery near mine this year. . . I have cut back on feeders at mine, instead encouraged/educated others nearby to feed more better and same mix to spread birds out a bit. Less disease, predator pressure and it all help educate folk. Though some still say we shouldn't feed at all? . . . Every one feeds different in garden and field. I keep it simple for both. Use and adapt a wildbird mix called No waste from Charnwood Milling Company. Great mix and genuinely no waste. Lot of small seeds in it. Turtle doves yellow hammers and english parts like it so it'l do me. £18.00 for 20kg less if you buy more than 10 bags. Just that and peanut feeder generally. Never been big fan of meal worms or fat balls. Especially in warm wet weather. Great when fresh. . . . . Do you like jackdaws? Characters but major predator my way and nest and garden raider. Regardless what "experts" say. They big threat to any turtle dove success. Control them where and when i can. Noticing far to many big gulls in land at mo. Covid or WJ effect? Or both? Certainly noticing less skylarks about because of.  . . . Good to see Martin Down Farm Super Cluster on Countryfile last week. Bit of proper conservation success. They even spoke of GWCT.           NB  

Same here, the boxes were used for roosting all winter, as for jackdaws, I've shot my fair share of them, but also had a juvenile as a companion a few years back, we have an old apple orchard locally, and this is where they nest, the trees are full of holes and cracks, and there are probably 10 pairs here every year,

 

11 minutes ago, WalkedUp said:

Sad news ...

 

The blue tits hadn’t been seen so assumed fledged. No sign of them at all for a few days so had a look in the next box. 8 starved chicks. Looks like the dog patrols were not enough to keep them safe 😔

Next time no head start. 

Hard luck mate, its a ****** when this sort of thing happens, a couple of years ago the blue tits using our nestbox were predated or abandoned their nest, it had eight eggs at the time, and the hen bird had been sitting for about 2 weeks, even worse for you with chicks in the nest............it wasn't your fault.

Edited May 16, 2021 by twenty

[WalkedUp]

11 minutes ago, twenty said:

it wasn't your fault

Aye, but forum rules dictate I can’t lay the finger of blame at my neighbour. These ‘animal lovers’ ey?! Probably donate money to RSPB to save the birds not realising what damage they do. 

[twenty]

1 minute ago, WalkedUp said:

Aye, but forum rules dictate I can’t lay the finger of blame at my neighbour. These ‘animal lovers’ ey?! Probably donate money to RSPB to save the birds not realising what damage they do. 

I know, the BTO, or Songbird Survival are the ones to support, if you are serious about avain life.

[NatureBoy]

Anyone else seen the cam footage of a hobby attempting to predate a kestrel nest in Essex. Amazing! Didn't go well for the hobby. fed to the 6 surviving chicks and remains used to keep them warm and a pillow for mum.      NB

[WalkedUp]

Send a link 👍

[twenty]

10 minutes ago, WalkedUp said:

Send a link 👍

Enter hobby and kestrel essex, to your search bar.

 

20 minutes ago, NatureBoy said:

Anyone else seen the cam footage of a hobby attempting to predate a kestrel nest in Essex. Amazing! Didn't go well for the hobby. fed to the 6 surviving chicks and remains used to keep them warm and a pillow for mum.      NB

I think the hobby made a bit of a mistake there eh.

[billytheghillie]

can someone tell me the width of the gap for the robin nest box?

[twenty]

2 minutes ago, billytheghillie said:

can someone tell me the width of the gap for the robin nest box?

Go to Robin nestbox BTO, on your computer, for exploded plan.

[billytheghillie]

3 minutes ago, twenty said:

Go to Robin nestbox BTO, on your computer, for exploded plan.

thanks, so it is 75mm

[twenty]

Just now, billytheghillie said:

thanks, so it is 75mm

Yes.

[WalkedUp]

20 minutes ago, twenty said:

Enter hobby and kestrel essex, to your search bar.

Googled it but only found it on an Arabic FB page. Poor Hobby became Deliveroo. 

[gmm243]

Have just got back from a few days fishing,my wife tells me the wagtail have hatched which is great but I will leave them alone for the time being and hope they fledge successfully. 

Fishing was ok (ish),lots of mayfly but cold, bright sunshine and then heavy rain and thunder.Wind cha fed direction more times than I could count but still have a few fish for the freezer and one for dinner tomorrow evening. Heard a cuckoo each morning and through the day then got a fleeting glimpse of one in the distance but yesterday morning when heading out I saw one fly into a bush and let us get within 20m of him/her while in the boat.It stayed there until we drove off.

[WalkedUp]

He came too close 

[Jim Neal]

Pan-seared breast of magpie with a rhubarb and strawberry jus.... anyone?  Thought not!

Nice shot

[WalkedUp]

These baby robins are becoming too much work 🤣

I was rehydrating meal worms for them and pouring boiling water from a full kettle into a bucket, then accidentally fell into the bucket and have burnt the skin off my foot. Have had to have it dressed in hospital and got to come back in a few days for them to redress it 🙈

[old'un]

9 minutes ago, WalkedUp said:

These baby robins are becoming too much work 🤣

I was rehydrating meal worms for them and pouring boiling water from a full kettle into a bucket, then accidentally fell into the bucket and have burnt the skin off my foot. Have had to have it dressed in hospital and got to come back in a few days for them to redress it 🙈

If you go around in woman's flip-flops what do you expect.

[WalkedUp]

4 minutes ago, old'un said:

If you go around in woman's flip-flops what do you expect.

I had to borrow these rather than go barefooted to the hospital! 🤣

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, WalkedUp said:

These baby robins are becoming too much work 🤣

I was rehydrating meal worms for them and pouring boiling water from a full kettle into a bucket, then accidentally fell into the bucket and have burnt the skin off my foot. Have had to have it dressed in hospital and got to come back in a few days for them to redress it 🙈

Oh dear, that's not good, but you can watch the robins while you rest up.

Top tip, I pour the boiling water over the meal worms in a sieve,  and not in bare feet.

[WalkedUp]

I leave the meal worms in a plastic bucket with boiling water for 30mins to soften up nicely. I know it’s spoiling my little birds but I’m a softy. 

[old'un]

1 hour ago, WalkedUp said:

I leave the meal worms in a plastic bucket with boiling water for 30mins to soften up nicely. I know it’s spoiling my little birds but I’m a softy. 

Or do what I do and buy half a pint of maggots from the tackle shop and put a few in a shallow dish, they love them, only problem is when it rains the maggots can crawl up the sides of the dish and get out, that was until I built a little shelter to cover the dish, the only other thing to watch out for is Starling, they will empty the dish in about two minutes when they bring the whole family.

[WalkedUp]

Still have 7 chicks, getting fluffy.