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[Elless]

Hi, I’m at my caravan in Scotland at the moment and have a Pied Wagtail nesting in a plant pot of Lavender. She is feeding young at the moment, who I think, are around a week old. Unfortunately we have had torrential rain today and the pot is directly under the run off from the caravan. It’s also quite windy so a lot of the water but not all, was blown away from the pot. Mum is still feeding them.
My question is, should I slide the pot away from the water run off or will that be too disturbing for the whole little family.

 

[delia todd]

Hi again Elles

I've moved your post to a more suitable forum. It really isn't a good idea to interfere with active nests as it could cause the adult to desert it and, in fact, is illegal.

However, I can imagine the issue here with the torrential rain some are experiencing and the nest is likely to fail anyway. You'd have to be careful and quick. If it's possible to just slide the pot an couple of inches away (I'd recommend into the direction of the wind is coming from) but you must choose a moment when the adults have left the nest.

Alternatively if you could try and fashion something to steer the water away that might be better. But shouldn't be too low down to the nest so that it changes the look.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Hi again Elles

I've moved your post to a more suitable forum. It really isn't a good idea to interfere with active nests as it could cause the adult to desert it and, in fact, is illegal.

However, I can imagine the issue here with the torrential rain some are experiencing and the nest is likely to fail anyway. You'd have to be careful and quick. If it's possible to just slide the pot an couple of inches away (I'd recommend into the direction of the wind is coming from) but you must choose a moment when the adults have left the nest.

Alternatively if you could try and fashion something to steer the water away that might be better. But shouldn't be too low down to the nest so that it changes the look.

I agree with Delia Elles. Good luck.

Rich

 

[Elless]

Thank you. I think sliding the pot a few inches is my only option as I am not mobile enough to be climbing ladders and I would have a job persuading anyone to do for me in these weather conditions

 

[KC Foggin]

Hi Elles! Any way when the parent leaves the nest to gather food, could you move it a couple of inches and possibly later when the parent leaves, another couple of inches?

 

[Elless]

I have managed to move it about 3 inches but it’s still facing the exact same way, so I’m hopeful, but not seen parents in the last 15 minutes. I’m a bit upset about it as I strategically placed the pot in its original position so that it would get watered when I’m not here. It’s been in place 8 years and this is the first time it has had a nest in it. Obviously I’d sooner have a dead lavender than dead birds. So lesson learnt.

 

[delia todd]

If you think they're around a week old they should be fledging in another week (will you still be there?) You should then be able to move the lavender back.

Some birds re-use nests, but I'm not sure that wagtails do. They could have up to three broods a year. I wonder if you could get some netting to put over the lavender; it would need to have very small holes though. Maybe if the gauge was wide enough to let the flower stems grow through it this would deter future nests from being built.

 

[Elless]

Good news! The parents are still feeding the youngsters.
I’m here for another 3 weeks. I think I’ll just leave the pot where it is now as it should keep reasonably dry. Lavender will likely get enough water to keep it alive now unless we have an extremely hot dry spell, in which case being under the caravan gutter won’t help anyway. Do they use the same nest if they have a third clutch?
Thank you for all the suggestions.

 

[delia todd]

Not many small birds keep the same nest, but I really don't know. Perhaps you'd like to ask in our Information Wanted forum.

Maybe someone from the wider membership has this information.

 

[Elless]

Not many small birds keep the same nest, but I really don't know. Perhaps you'd like to ask in our Information Wanted forum.

Maybe someone from the wider membership has this information.

Thank you. I’ll have a look on there. I’m not going to touch the pot or plant now until early October when it will be moved to a more sheltered spot. Next spring I’ll put it under the bay window, maybe. Much drier. The nest is around six inches down in the pot so sheltered from wind
There have been a few wagtails nesting in pots on site this year. I’m only a few yards from the north sea so shelter for little birds is hard to find.