Each spring for the last few years I settle down to record the nest sites in my garden. The results from these observations I put into the BTO Nesting Neighbours website.
Throughout the garden I have a number of bird boxes including open fronted, Blue and Great Tit and a large number of Sparrow boxes. Some are used year in year out but others have remained empty since the day they were put up.
Due to the nature of the garden and the fixing points for nest boxes mine cover a range of points of the compass and heights. All I can say is that birds haven't read the book and many have nested in boxes facing in directions that are not 'appropriate'.
Each year brings its own rewards. This year things have been very quiet. The sparrow boxes have only had a couple of occupants as opposed to last year when they were crowded. The Blue Tit returned to the box on the garage and was able to raise one clutch so far as opposed to last year when they all died in the box.
The Blackbird continue to build nests in the various bushes around the garden but this year have abandoned the two that I have located but one pair has been successful.
This year the Robin nested in the ivy on the old apple tree and were doing well until the 5th May when I noticed that the nest had been destroyed and after a search of the area I found three dead chicks. Initially I thought this was due to squirrels but now I'm more inclined to cat!
By the entrance to the pond area a Wren had built a beautiful domed nest and settled in to rear its young. I set up one of my wildlife cameras and settled back to watch its progress.
All was going well and between the 28th April and the 29th May I recorded 77 visits to the nest made by the parents and using the endiscope on the 21st was able to capture the young in the nest.
Returning from a trip Up North I checked the nest and found it empty. Hoping that the camera had caught their departure I ploughed through the clips adding the information to Nesting Neighbours. Sadly my hope was soon dashed!
At 22 19 on the 28th the camera recorded a cat climbing in through the ivy to the nest! After over 30 minutes of inspecting the nest it moved off.
I quickly checked the recordings for that morning and was relieved to see the wren feeding from the early hours onwards.
However all was not well as the recordings for that evening showed. The damned cat returned at 23.00 and this time plundered the nest killing all the young and scaring off the parents.
It was with a great deal of sadness to see one of the parents return later to check on the nest and realise all was lost.
I don't like cats and this has reinforced my dislike even more. They are killers with no regard. Why people should want such a creature living with them then putting them out during the night to reap havoc on other creatures is beyond me.
Keep cats indoors! Put a great big bell around their neck and keep them out of my garden!
