nesting Robins
Lostinglass
Posts: 7
Hi, I am in a quandary, a pair of robins are trying to nest in my conservatory, I would love to have them, but I am in and out several times a day, I have closed the window to dissuade them but they persist in trying to get in. What should I do?
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Posts
Unless you are happy to leave a window permanently open I'd keep it shut. Not really sure what problems they might cause apart from the obvious.
leaving the window open isn't a problem, I'm concerned that my presence several times a day might cause them to abandon the nest later on. Will they tolerate me?
It is your call Lostingglass, but you have to make a decision between letting them nest and then not disturbing them, or preventing them from nesting in the first place.
We have barn swallows nest in our sheds. If I can leave them to it I do. If I need to be in and out all summer, well I shut the doors for the sake of the adults and young.
Blackbirds nested in the mower shed last year, they reared the babies successfully in spite of having a ride on mower started up, just underneath the nest, once a week. I can't push the mower so they had to put up with it and they did
Thanks Gemma, I think I'll lock them out, they haven't started yet, I think the cock is trying to lure the hen by demonstrating that he has a good place to nest. It's sad, as I would love to have them, and it's about the only place in my garden safe from the horde of local cats.
Would it be possible to fit a robin's nestbox on the outside of your conservatory? If they are so accustomed to coming there they might consider using it. Could you camouflage it at all so they would feel more protected?
When I worked at the Wildlife Trust we had robbins nesting in an old broken nestbox just ouside the door of the room where we kept stationery in the courtyard. The door was used everyday and they never bothered. We also had housemartins nesting over another door that was really heavy and everytime it shut it really banged loudly, it never upset them, they used to come back every year.
Years ago I knew of robins who nested every year in the outside privy - the house didn't have indoor sanitation and there was a reasonably large family living there so you can imagine how frequently the privy was used and the duration of the visits - it didn't disturb the robins one jot.
Leave the window open, keep using the conservatory as much as you usually would and they'll make the decision - they know better than us what suits them in a nesting site - if there are a lot of cats about outside they've probably chosen your conservatory for that very reason.
hi a pair of robins sucesfully nested in my potting shed. I kept the door open for them. their are a lot of cats around here
I would be mortified though if I walked in there to see the dead young and be left thinking it was because I disturbed them. I've watched nests closely as part of my work and see them abandoned time after time because of apparently minor disturbances, such as a dog walker going past or someone going round with the mower. In time you get to know how the adults act during an abandonment and sadly that they will not be going back.
Can you allow them to nest Lostinglass and perhaps only go in if you know the parents are not at the nest? I don't know if you would be able to see them without going in.