in the garden
Last year, hornets started making a nest in our little bird box, and I had to relocate them to a safer spot. They didn’t create an overwintering nest, so during January I fetched the box back from the woodland and put it on the fence in our garden – hopefully safer from the cats that live nextdoor. Great Tits nested the first year the box was up (2024) and they seem to be back for a rerun in 2026.
It’s a nice nesting box, and made by a local group from offcuts of wood so it looks attractive in the garden, and is larger than the standard made-in-China variety. The lid came off so I’ve had to strap it up, but the birds are definitely nesting. I’m not sure if the eggs have hatched as I saw the female in the tree behind begging for food from her mate, so I don’t know if they have chicks just yet. They get a bit cross when I’m outside in the garden with the pup, or hanging up the washing, or watering the garden, but when I hear them buzzing at me I move to the other side of the lawn and keep the dogs away from the border below the box. My cat has an outdoor catio, (we call it his palace…) but it’s near the back door so not close enough to scare the birds. A raggedy passion flower covers the fence behind, and it won’t be long before it covers the bird box too.
We have taken down the bird feeders since the advice from the RSPB, but in any case our garden is set up to provide lots of food for wildlife, and there’s a huge oak tree in our neighbour’s property which will be covered in caterpillars and small morsels now that the leaves have fully emerged, so the tree will welcome the attentive parents removing leaf-eating bugs and beasties.
Here’s a quick coloured pencil sketch:
Have you got birds nesting in your garden?
