Signs of spring and bijou bird-boxes

Birds have been helping themselves
to nest wadding.

There are some signs of spring - sunny days, lighter mornings and the first few singers in what will soon be a full-on dawn chorus.

The birds have also been quite busy with the timeless task of finding a mate and then nest-building.

I was walking in the park a couple of weeks ago; a day after there had been some strong winds and in the trees at the foot of the rookery by the churchyard, there was a rook’s nest which had blown down.

No eggs or chicks yet and this was certainly a nest from last year or even earlier. It was carefully woven from twigs, but the interesting thing was this it was lined with a sweet wrapper, one of those long, thin plastic bags that you get frozen lollies inside.

The birds had carefully slotted it around the sides of its nest. It must have thought: “this is just what I need, it’s the perfect shape.”

I’m always picking up litter in the park, perhaps I should leave some selected pieces as building blocks for the rooks’ nests?

A week ago, when I was cutting back the hawthorn hedge at the side of the garden, I found one of last year’s blackbird nests and, guess what, this bird had also utilised an old sweet wrapper as nest lining. Also, it must have fetched it from some way away because we wouldn’t have dropped litter in our own garden.

Bijou bird boxes - ready for occupancy.

Sam and Lucy bought me a couple of RSPB bird boxes and a hanger for nest wadding as my Christmas present and this week, I’ve put them up.

The bird boxes have gone on the north wall of the house, where it’s cooler in summer, and there’s one with a small hole (for a blue tit or wren) and another with a half-open front, which might suit a blackbird or wagtail. I hope that they get used. I was planning to put them up at the allotment, but thought I’d try them at home so I can enjoy seeing them occupied.

The wadding has proven very popular, within a couple of days big chunks were being pulled out.