hi, i posted a few weeks back about a pair of robins who had built their nest in my childrens wooden wendy house,the chicks have safely left the nest this morning and the parents are busy feeding them in the brambles,does anyone know if they will return to the wendyhouse and reuse the old nest or will mum rebuild elsewhere? Only my children have been so good in staying away from all their toys which are in the wendyhouse and i would like to get the trampoline surround out which is what the nest is built on top of!!!Am i allowed to move the old nest to get to the poles i need if i put it back on something at a similar height or should i leave well alone? Thanks for any advice..
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Robin nest advice please (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter tracy
- Start date
Ian Hamiltan
Well-known member
hi tracytracy said:
i would leave the nest until the end of summer because its possable theyll
use the nest for another brood then you can have a clean out and kids
can have there toys back
birdpotter
Well-known member
I hardly think that's hardly fair to the kids!
Ian Hamiltan
Well-known member
tracy can always take the chance of the birds not returning.birdpotter said:
KnockerNorton
Well-known member
They might try and use the same site, even the same nest, but if I was you then I'd remove the nest and let your kids spend a lot of time in the Wendy House every day, enjoying the sun. that way, you'll encourage the robins to build elsewhere. Beware though, it might only be a few yards away, so still keep an eye out.
You could try moving the wendy house too, perhaps closer to the house and people, to discourage the birds.
It's not being mean - they'll have plenty of places to build, and you've done right by them, but you should claim the house back now!
Actually, you've got about a week to give them a hint - put a nestbox up asap, on a fence behind some bushes or a wall among some ivy, anywhere from 3ft to 10ft high, as long as it's in cover/shleter of some sort. That way, everyone's happy.
Check the wendy house every day, carefully. If you find nesting material then remove it. It's legal, and they'll soon get the hint after a few days. But check every day - they can build and lay within 2 days.
You could try moving the wendy house too, perhaps closer to the house and people, to discourage the birds.
It's not being mean - they'll have plenty of places to build, and you've done right by them, but you should claim the house back now!
Actually, you've got about a week to give them a hint - put a nestbox up asap, on a fence behind some bushes or a wall among some ivy, anywhere from 3ft to 10ft high, as long as it's in cover/shleter of some sort. That way, everyone's happy.
Check the wendy house every day, carefully. If you find nesting material then remove it. It's legal, and they'll soon get the hint after a few days. But check every day - they can build and lay within 2 days.
Thanks for the advice Poecile,I already have two robin boxes up in the garden! I guess they thought the wendy house was safer,we are overun with cats,squirrels and magpies so i was quite relieved that they chose the wendy house to be honest.I have been in this afternoon and carefully removed the trampoline poles and replaced them with fence posts!!.We are going to move the trampoline further away from the wendy house so if they chose to go back in they will get some peace.The children aren't bothered about going into the wendyhouse,they just want to bounce in safety!!
tracy said:
Hi Tracy
Well done on letting the robins finish their nesting. You're right the house is a very safe place regarding cats etc. If you put an old kettle or pot in a secluded corner they may nest in that. They will take some disturbance but if your kids use the house often then they probably won't nest there again as the poster above said.
Just to let you all know,the Robins are going in and out of the Wendyhouse again,so it looks as if they are going for a second brood in the same place.They obviously didn't mind me moving the nest to get to the trampoline poles and are happy with the way i put it back.Fingers crossed for another happy outcome..Better go and buy some more mealworms!
I wonder now your kids will want to get into birdwatching & want to join The YOC
Kits
Picture Picker
It is actually illegal to move active nests or destroy ones which are being built
http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/nestboxes/faqs.asp#tcm:9-126857
Is it legal to move or destroy active birds' nests?
Almost certainly no. All birds their nests and eggs are protected by law: the Wildlife & Countryside Act of 1981. This makes it an offence, with certain exceptions, to deliberately take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. It is also illegal to take or destroy the egg of any wild bird.
