but my front garden Collared Doves have fledged two from a most unsuitable location. As I returned home Saturday morning I noticed a pile of guano building up under the front conifer tree. On investigation I found two young on the crappiest nest (in every sense of the word) just at arms reach above me.
Why the bird would put such a flimsy construction so near to a busy road and barely clear of people walking along the path is beyond me. I'm amazed it withstood the gales at the beginning of this month. 2.2m (that's 7ft) off the ground it is 150mm (6") in diameter and probably has less than 50 sticks in it. I've promised to send it to Mike Hansell at the University of Glasgow but am wondering how to get it out in one piece.
Truth be told I should have spotted it earlier as the two adult birds have been hanging around the gate post of the drive for weeks often not even flying off as I drive the car in! I knew there was a nest somewhere in the tree but I hadn't considered looking up at that particular location.
These shots were taken early morning on 8th March as the birds 'got jiggy with it'
Clearly it was a successful mating and as I pulled out of the drive later on Saturday I noticed one of the young on the ground oblivious to the passing traffic. Fearing it would be a short existence for the young bird I shooed it down the drive but now fear doing the squishing myself as I pull in.
Anyway, the nest is empty and the youngsters are hidden somewhere about the place. Meanwhile the back garden pair await the emergence of their young which judging by the birds position on the nest, are beginning to get their feathers but I've yet to catch the parent feeding them.
Meanwhile last night on Prestwick Carr No86 Lesser Whitethroat was singing its way along the bumpy road.
I hope in future these sort of posts are going to go on your new .sex blog. I could hardly bring myself to look
ReplyDeleteJohn
They do make the worst nests going in all the wrong places. But it's a startegy that doesn't half work!
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