[The Bad Cormorant]

First three days of the build


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[Lara]

Hi there,
Can you tell us more please?

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious, but do you have a cormorant building at nest at your place?

[mrsD]

Can you share where this photo is taken from? It is a horizontal surface, like a window edge?

Do I see lumps of mud? If so, then this may be a practice nest of robins. At this time of year, there are fledglings, working with parents and learning how to make nests. They will often make 3 or more near each other as practice. The parents may have a second brood and the teens from the first brood this season may help feed the new nestlings and also practice making nests.

I am reminded of a story our mail carrier told me recently. She lives in the "country" --a rural area. When she drove home from work one night a robin made a nest on her front tire in the wheelwell of her SUV. She removed it, and the next day another was there in the same spot! LOL

Robins line the nest with mud. And they typically make nests in low areas, and not high up. This is because the fledglings are large and can't fly well at first when they outgrow the nest size.

I would like to see more of this project, so please keep posting your photos....
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[The Bad Cormorant]

Day 4 and it is now starting to take the shape of a nest ! I have also included an images to show where the nest is and give some scale, I would imagine someone will now be able to take a guess at what type of bird is building this!

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[mrsD]

Thanks for the new photos.... the presence of the mud suggests a robin.

How is the bird getting into your garage?


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Just type into Google "Robin nest" and click images. you see all types but most have mud holding them together. Robin chicks get quite large and I guess the mud strengthens the whole structure for them.

Here is a photo of a newly fledged robin sitting on my plant bench and resting waiting for a parent to bring food. (I keep my seedlings and flowers for upNorth on this bench until we leave and take them with us. There are no nurseries up there to buy from late in the summer.)

[Lara]

Thanks for the update.

Nest is certainly taking shape now.

I have no idea, but I'll go with "barn swallow" even though I've never seen one. lol

[mrsD]

This link answers many common questions about Robins' nests.


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[The Bad Cormorant]

Originally Posted by Lara
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Thanks for the update.

Nest is certainly taking shape now.

I have no idea, but I'll go with "barn swallow" even though I've never seen one. lol

Well Done ! indeed it is a "Swallow" (barn swallow is an american term for the same bird)

They are the most amazing of birds and one of my favourites. They winter in southern Africa and make the 7000 mile journey in the spring to where I live in Scotland where they raise their young before returning in the Autumn to Southern Africa.

The pair that are responsible for the nest in this thread have already raised one brood this year and this is their second nest. The first brood of four left the nest on the 19th June, they hung around the house for the first few days being fed (sadly one went missing on day one, so only three now) they then disappeared with the parents for over a week just occasionally returning in the evenings. Then last week the parents started the second nest - the three young do still keep returning and are now highly accomplished flying machines, clearly feeding themselves now. They may actually help the parents feed the next brood, however this is very rare and I have only twice seen it happen before.

Originally Posted by mrsD
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Thanks for the new photos.... the presence of the mud suggests a robin.

How is the bird getting into your garage?

we cut a hole above the door that gives them full access.

I was a little confused with your comments regarding the Robin, our Robin (in Scotland) is a very different bird to the "American Robin, in fact after reading up about it the American Robin is indeed quite similar to our Swallow, although I guess you will have Swallows too and probably know them by the name "Barn Swallow"

Anyway back to the nest, they have been very busy building again today and as you can see it is getting there - I would guess this time next week we should have eggs..


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[mrsD]

There are American Robins in UK... but they are not common.

The swallow nests I have seen are more mud and less grass/twigs. Yours must be different in construction.

Swallows here pick much more precarious locations for their nests, often hanging on nothing..but attached to walls with the mud.

Your nest is on a horizontal surface which here is a definite characteristic of robins --who also hang around people with some comfort.

I've drawn many nests during my life.(I also have collected some). They are all very interesting.

[Lara]

I'm in Australia, so didn't have a clue really.
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Not sure I've ever seen a Robin or a Swallow where I've lived.

mrsD, once again, that is a most precious drawing.