What bird builds a nest like this?
This birds nest is way up high in the old elm tree, can you see it? The nest seems to be almost suspended on a curving branch that looks a bit like the boot of Italy. It looks so precarious there. And that branch does not look strong. The nest is tall – probably about 18 inches in depth and wide at the top.
Could it be a heron nest? It does not look wide enough for a heron – plus I have not seen any herons yet.
Herons do often sleep in that tree in the summer so it might be an old nest?
Actually there are two nests here I think? One under the other. The top one is the one that interests me. It is long like a wide funnel. More than one heron will often nest in the same tree, and build their nests quite close. Hmm. I will have to keep an eye out.
Both nests are up so high it was hard to get a shot of them with my old mediocre equipment.
Was it you little mourning dove? I don’t think so. The mourning dove nest looks a little like a pie plate.
This mystery nest is abut 18 inches deep and wild and messy like my hair in the morning .They have used anything they can find to make it – even a peacock feather. Can you see it?
Speaking of nests here is Miss Robin and her chicks in the cherry tree. I think there are three? What do you think?
Chickens often pile into nesting boxes one on top of the other. I have not been able to work out why but it makes gathering the eggs easier. These eggs have good hard shells so there is no risk of breakage.
I still have to gather the eggs often though as there is a chicken who is eating the eggs. I am not sure which one but when I catch her she will be sent to live in the barn. Egg eaters are not welcome in the hen house.
The ducks are opportunists and lately have gone back to laying their eggs in the box I collect the baling twine in. I collect 6 eggs a day from here lately. No ducks are missing so I have no ducks sitting anywhere.
Asparagus has begun! Last nights rain will have made all the difference.
We had three great thunderstorms last night with some good solid downpours. So the tomatoes are well watered in. Today I will go around and close the damp straw up around the stems. Plant your tomatoes deep because they can actually grow roots out of their stems, unlike other plants that will rot if planted too deep.
Lots to do today!
In this washed clean world. after a good rain I am dying to get outside but I have to wash the floors first. The floors are my challenge for the day.
Don’t you hate having to choose between housework and gardening! Gardening always wins! (So, I am going to force myself to clean the floors before I escape).
Have a lovely day.
PS Pop in here to collect your Kitchens Garden Podcast. Free for all of May.
28 Comments on “What bird builds a nest like this?”
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That looks like it could be a heron nest. They live on aquatic prey, so fish, rodents, lizards, eggs, baby birds – I bet they eat mink!
Are those 4 robin babies?
The herons hunt in the ditch what was a creek so it could be!
Can you just see a heron flying through the air carrying a peacock feather!!
Apparently the males build nests to attract females. That would be a sight – I bet he’s pinching bits of hay and straw for the nest too!
Huh. I will watch out for him.
They do attack ducks, but I think yours have safety in numbers and herons are very shy, so there’s probably enough activity on the farmy to keep them away.
sometimes squirrels build nests in the trees here
You know Beth. For the life of me I never thought about squirrels and where they raise their young. In trees! Wow. We have no squirrels here for me to study!
When I plant tomatoes, I don’t plant too deep but pinch off the bottom leaves and plant in a trench so the pinched part of the stem is in the ground.
Good idea to pinch off those bottom leaves. Less chance of blight. We have a long wait ahead of us for a tomato!!
http://lemonbayconservancy.org/remarkable-oriole-nest/ Wish that I could send you a Baltimore Oriole feeder. They love halved oranges impaled on a dowel feeder, and also nectar from an Oriole specific feeder.
I have seen a few orioles here lately too – but I thought they were just migrating through. This IS interesting – thank you – I will follow this link
Ooh, I think you just posted dinner: asparagus and soft boiled eggs! Yum.
Delicious!!
I concur on squirrel. That looks like the kind of nest they build.
How interesting! I will keep a look out. Though there has never been a squirrel here before.
I agree with the squirrel nest comments. I’ve seen squirrel nests in trees all of my life.
That sounds like fun!
Maybe you have squirrels after all! We have two nests in our tree in back.
I will keep an eye out just in case – stranger things have happened.
I am so envious that you can grow tomatoes. Summers here are too foggy and cool unless you have a greenhouse (which I don’t have). Do you have tohees there? A tohee nest is very loose and draggy.
I love fresh sun ripened tomatoes – I feel sad for you not being able to grow them!
The farmers market has some folks from inland, where it is hot. But they are not often available until August…I will just have to wait.
I
Am seeing 4 baby robins too! The two in the foreground are very close together.
We are down on the coast for a
razor clam dig and lots of herons in the marshy areas so I’ll look for nests. Usually they build their nests in rookeries with a several pairs together.
Yes! If they can’t find tall trees herons have been known to nest on the ground – which would not be a good idea around here!
Oh yes, I’d much rather be out digging or planting or pruning, or mowing than inside doing anything other than reading. The housework only gets done when it just can’t be put off any longer. As long as the health department doesn’t come around checking on things we’ll be oaky.
I, too, dislike cleaning floors! They usually get a good cleaning just before guests arrive! Do you add calcium of some sort to your chicken feed for strong eggshells?
We give them bags of oyster shell. I usually just throw a few handfuls in with their feed.
Gotcha! It’s what we do as well!