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GardenJester
- Senior Member
- Posts: 244
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:59 pm
bird nest in garden
Apparently, a bird had made it's nest on one of tomato plant. it's already got like 3 eggs in it. I was away for a long weekend and when I came back there it was the nest. Now I'm kind of apprehensive about working in my garden because I don't want to disturb the bird. What should I do? move the nest? or just go about my business and not worry about the bird since it's stupid enough to pick a bad spot and should live with the consequence?
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
Just go about your business. If you don't like the nest there, just toss it in the compost heap. If you don't mind the nest, just leave it. The birds will either leave or stay and raise some young.
I had some killdeer one time decide to nest right in the middle of my garden. They don't really build a nest, just lay some eggs on the ground. They would go into a tizzy when I got near, but they stuck with the nest and raised some young.
I had some killdeer one time decide to nest right in the middle of my garden. They don't really build a nest, just lay some eggs on the ground. They would go into a tizzy when I got near, but they stuck with the nest and raised some young.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Wow, I don't know how many of us that aren't farmers with acreage and livestock could actually put a nest with three eggs in the compost pile!
If it were me, I would want to try and figure out what bird it is. If you watch the nest you should see the parent birds come to it. I would have different feelings about what to do if it were say starlngs, vs say carolina wrens!
If you touch/ move the nest, I doubt the parent birds will come back to it. I'd leave it and just do your best to work around it without touching it or disturbing them any more than you have to. Then it will be up to the birds to stick with it or not.
If it were me, I would want to try and figure out what bird it is. If you watch the nest you should see the parent birds come to it. I would have different feelings about what to do if it were say starlngs, vs say carolina wrens!
If you touch/ move the nest, I doubt the parent birds will come back to it. I'd leave it and just do your best to work around it without touching it or disturbing them any more than you have to. Then it will be up to the birds to stick with it or not.
Touching the nest wouldn't make any difference to the parent birds. Birds really don't have a very acute sense of smell. They depend primarily on vision and hearing. That's why you can safely return a fallen nestling to its nest, or a fledgling to the safety of a branch, and the parent birds will continue to care for it.
Moving the nest too far away, though, might confuse the parent birds. They wouldn't know quite where to look for it if you moved it into a tree, for instance. Also, different species nest at certain distances from the ground, so if you moved the nest too high or too low, the parents might abandon it, even if they did find it.
If it isn't too late in the season, some species will just start a new nest and lay a new clutch of eggs. Whether they will be able to successfully raise the second brood, though, will depend on where you're located and whether or not the species is migratory.
Just think of those insect-hungry babies living right there in your garden, though, regardless of the species!
Moving the nest too far away, though, might confuse the parent birds. They wouldn't know quite where to look for it if you moved it into a tree, for instance. Also, different species nest at certain distances from the ground, so if you moved the nest too high or too low, the parents might abandon it, even if they did find it.
If it isn't too late in the season, some species will just start a new nest and lay a new clutch of eggs. Whether they will be able to successfully raise the second brood, though, will depend on where you're located and whether or not the species is migratory.
Just think of those insect-hungry babies living right there in your garden, though, regardless of the species!
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
I am giggling at this:
I have landscaped my lot with the birds in mind. We have loads of birds here. We feed them and love to watch their antics. The birds on the feeder are our entertainment at breakfast each day. We have also had many opportunities to observe nesting birds.
I really ain't the heartless rogue you make me out to be rainbowgardener, but I do know a bit about bird behavior. I also know that if this nest is destroyed, the birds will likely try again.
My point is that if you move the nest at all the birds will abandon it. You may as well toss it in the trash, the result is the same. Either leave it be or toss it, you decide.Wow, I don't know how many of us that aren't farmers with acreage and livestock could actually put a nest with three eggs in the compost pile!
I have landscaped my lot with the birds in mind. We have loads of birds here. We feed them and love to watch their antics. The birds on the feeder are our entertainment at breakfast each day. We have also had many opportunities to observe nesting birds.
I really ain't the heartless rogue you make me out to be rainbowgardener, but I do know a bit about bird behavior. I also know that if this nest is destroyed, the birds will likely try again.