Baby bird update
I'm afraid I haven't posted about the robins in the last few days as it's bad news.
The parents (after a few abortive checks) didn't return to the nest in the ivy, from which I conclude that the cat did indeed kill the babies. One of the parents has a tuft of feathers sticking out of his/her back, which rather suggests that the cat came close to getting one of the parents as well. (I wonder which of our neighbours owns a small dark tabby, and if they have any idea of what their cat is doing when its out of their sight...)
It was the first time we'd ever had robins nesting in the garden, so to lose them in this way is really upsetting.
However, there is better news on another front.
I may have mentioned that we had blackbirds nesting in the (very prickly) hedge, among the climbing rose. We had been concerned about them for the last couple of days, as Mr and Mrs B had started building a new nest in the wisteria over the lounge window. However, this morning, they brought the babies to visit. Two young blackbirds, who presumably fledged yesterday or this morning. The parents must started work on nest number two as soon as the babies were ready to leave the first nest. (they don't reuse the same nest as that increases the risk from parasites)
Blackbirds like to use some mud in the construction of their nests. We discovered this the amusing way... Richard was given some watercress seed by his mother and duly planted it in a container that we keep very wet. Yesterday, Mr B was rooting madly in it. Was it worms he was after? No. He filled his beak with a large ball of mud and flew up to the wisteria. We debated moving the tub so that he wouldn't destroy any potential seedlings, but it wasn't a very long debate. (about half a second) Baby blackbirds won out over potential watercress.
This will be the first time we've ever had two blackbird nests in one year.
So, if you want baby birds in your garden, here are my current tips:
1. Prickly hedge. Pyracantha, hawthorn, blackthorn, anything really as long as it discourages cats. Cut it back so that it stays bushy and not too straggly. Climbing roses grow well through hedges like this. (pruning tips to get amazing loads of flowers on your climbing rose are available on request)
2. Lots of plants. Lots and lots of plants. British natives are probably best, but everything that grows is an asset.
3. A bit of bare, dry soil. Sparrow in particular love a good dust bath. The space under my rosemary is popular at present.
4. A bit of soil with dead leaves, twiggy bits, etc. Just like the soil under my raspberries, which is free of plants because I weed it, but covered in interesting twiggy, leafy, bitty compost that I mulch it with every year. Blackbirds and dunnocks just love rooting around for insects.
5. Climbing plants. On every possible surface. We get birds nesting in both the ivy and the wisteria. There isn't a gardener in the world who can't grow ivy!
6. A pond. Not always possible, but birds bath in it, drink it, catch insects that live in it and seem to flock to the plants that grow in it. (there's not much point in a pond unless you have plants in it)
7. A bird bath. The little birds use the bath, the big ones use the shallow part of the pond.
8. Nest boxes. Good for blue tits and great tits. Unlikely to be useful for any other species.
The parents (after a few abortive checks) didn't return to the nest in the ivy, from which I conclude that the cat did indeed kill the babies. One of the parents has a tuft of feathers sticking out of his/her back, which rather suggests that the cat came close to getting one of the parents as well. (I wonder which of our neighbours owns a small dark tabby, and if they have any idea of what their cat is doing when its out of their sight...)
It was the first time we'd ever had robins nesting in the garden, so to lose them in this way is really upsetting.
However, there is better news on another front.
I may have mentioned that we had blackbirds nesting in the (very prickly) hedge, among the climbing rose. We had been concerned about them for the last couple of days, as Mr and Mrs B had started building a new nest in the wisteria over the lounge window. However, this morning, they brought the babies to visit. Two young blackbirds, who presumably fledged yesterday or this morning. The parents must started work on nest number two as soon as the babies were ready to leave the first nest. (they don't reuse the same nest as that increases the risk from parasites)
Blackbirds like to use some mud in the construction of their nests. We discovered this the amusing way... Richard was given some watercress seed by his mother and duly planted it in a container that we keep very wet. Yesterday, Mr B was rooting madly in it. Was it worms he was after? No. He filled his beak with a large ball of mud and flew up to the wisteria. We debated moving the tub so that he wouldn't destroy any potential seedlings, but it wasn't a very long debate. (about half a second) Baby blackbirds won out over potential watercress.
This will be the first time we've ever had two blackbird nests in one year.
So, if you want baby birds in your garden, here are my current tips:
1. Prickly hedge. Pyracantha, hawthorn, blackthorn, anything really as long as it discourages cats. Cut it back so that it stays bushy and not too straggly. Climbing roses grow well through hedges like this. (pruning tips to get amazing loads of flowers on your climbing rose are available on request)
2. Lots of plants. Lots and lots of plants. British natives are probably best, but everything that grows is an asset.
3. A bit of bare, dry soil. Sparrow in particular love a good dust bath. The space under my rosemary is popular at present.
4. A bit of soil with dead leaves, twiggy bits, etc. Just like the soil under my raspberries, which is free of plants because I weed it, but covered in interesting twiggy, leafy, bitty compost that I mulch it with every year. Blackbirds and dunnocks just love rooting around for insects.
5. Climbing plants. On every possible surface. We get birds nesting in both the ivy and the wisteria. There isn't a gardener in the world who can't grow ivy!
6. A pond. Not always possible, but birds bath in it, drink it, catch insects that live in it and seem to flock to the plants that grow in it. (there's not much point in a pond unless you have plants in it)
7. A bird bath. The little birds use the bath, the big ones use the shallow part of the pond.
8. Nest boxes. Good for blue tits and great tits. Unlikely to be useful for any other species.