I feel absolutely gutted

[Opal]

I was trimming (electrically) the ivy off the fence in the back garden which was getting a bit too heavy and we're going away on Thursday so it needed doing.

As I neared the right end of the fencing, a nest fell forward, it stayed in the ivy tho', I looked down on the lawn and spotted a broken Blackbird's egg, totally gutted to say the least as Blackbirds are one of my favourite flyers.

There were only two in in the nest, can't believe it. Daughter dropped one of the g/kids off a few miles away so gave me time to inspect it more thoroughly, as I exited the back door, the brooding mother flew out of the nest.
I'll be keeping my eyes open to see what happens, hope the lone egg survives to fly the airways.

We've lived in this house just over five years and never seen a blackbird in the rear garden and it's been a long long time since we have spotted one in the front, it's just Seagulls above and damn Maggies.

Spotted the odd Goldcrest when we first moved in, flying into the ivy but then nothing for years.

You can see the nest just left of the post.

 

[JonathanD]

That's a shame. I don't think they'll use it anymore though as it is terribly exposed. Don't worry, no doubt they will start building another one soon. It would have been far worse had there been chicks in there.

 

[Opal]

JD, do you think the mother will abandon it soon? as it was sitting on there as I came out to inspect it.

 

[JonathanD]

JD, do you think the mother will abandon it soon? as it was sitting on there as I came out to inspect it.

I don't think they will stick around for too long in such an exposed position.

 

[Shewie]

Bad luck mate, could you use any of the living ivy limbs to weave something back into place, maybe use a bit of wire to hold stuff in place ?

 

[shaggystu]

JD, do you think the mother will abandon it soon? as it was sitting on there as I came out to inspect it.

i'd say you'd have to hope that the mother abandons it, if she spends too much time trying to defend the remaining egg against the many things that are going to come along and try to eat it then she'll end up exhausting herself before she has chance to build another nest and start laying again. it's a shame to have exposed the nest like that but these things happen.

stuart

 

[JonathanD]

Bad luck mate, could you use any of the living ivy limbs to weave something back into place, maybe use a bit of wire to hold stuff in place ?

i'd say you'd have to hope that the mother abandons it, if she spends too much time trying to defend the remaining egg against the many things that are going to come along and try to eat it then she'll end up exhausting herself before she has chance to build another nest and start laying again. it's a shame to have exposed the nest like that but these things happen.

stuart

Two great pieces of advice there. See if you can do something, although you will have to do it quick. If you can't I really would remove it so the female doesn't attempt to roost there tonight. The cats will soon have her.

 

[Opal]

Tried covering it up, not too packed, hope it works.

 

[JonathanD]

Tried covering it up, not too packed, hope it works.

Nice one. Best option really. Lots of overhanging stuff will work best as they tend to fly down and up.

 

[mrrivers]

hi. it's to late in the nesting season to be doing this, ivy is a vital nesting site for quite a few bird species, and i'm sorry to say that you have inadvertently broken the law put into place to protect nesting birds. the fines have no ceiling, quite rightly so. it isn't promoted enough, so many people don't know about it.

no hedges etc should be cut in the nesting season unless surveyed by a professional. a bit big brother until you look at the plight of birds in this country.

it's a problem because of the tidy up brigade who want nature to be straight lines and under their control, (not for a moment suggesting that you are one of those) leave maintenance work till the late autumn when plants are starting to become dormant, if you trim or cut it now you will just get lots of new growth.

also the flowers of ivy are a great source of energy to many bees, butterfly's and the like. so let it flower

 

[Opal]

thanks for the info, mrrivers, I feel a lot more guilty than I did before.

 

[JonathanD]

thanks for the info, mrrivers, I feel a lot more guilty than I did before.

Yeah, didn't help really did it. It's done now, nowt you can do. It was an accident so don't worry about it. I trod on a frog today.

 

[Toddy]

We live and learn; I didn't know that I couldn't cut my overgrowing garden hedgings in Summer time either.
Indeed I did them last week.....causes neighbourly disputes otherwise. The beech and birch mixed hedge grew two feet in eight weeks, so it had to be trimmed back and tidied up.
Fortunately the only nest I disturbed was one full of baby spiderlings but it could as easily have been me that disturbed the blackie and felt gutted too

The ivy crawls over the back fences and makes green walls usually I just pull and weave in to tidy it up, but it's against the woodlands not neighbouring gardens.

Be interesting to hear if the hen returns to the egg and it hatches.

atb,
Toddy

 

[Opal]

That would make my day, Toddy. Didn't know about it either other than the usual birds nesting in trees yer don't chop down.

Amazing innit? yer don't see a garden bird for years until yer start cutting the green down.

 

[mrrivers]

Yeah, didn't help really did it. It's done now, nowt you can do. It was an accident so don't worry about it. I trod on a frog today.

opal , i'm really sorry it honestly wasn't meant to make you feel guilty, it can and does happen to anyone. it happened to me. they will use the nest again. (yep i should have said all this in my first post)

JD. as for not helping, if you learn something that you didn't know before, that's helpful. surely that's what this forum is about, but point taken, i sounded preachy, and am sorry for that

 

[Shewie]

I trod on a frog today.

I trod on at least a dozen snails today, but I meant it

 

[kodiakjoe]

You didn't know about the nest Opal so you haven't broken the law, the Wildlife annd Countryside Act 1981 only states that it is illegal to 'intentionally' cut back a hedge knowing there is an active nest in it - which you did not.

You obviously care about the wildlife in your garden and I'm sure with your new knowledge it'll become a haven for birds and bees

For ayone interested in domestic hedges and birds here's a link http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/planting/hedges/the_law.aspx

If it's any consolation i teach countryside management and once exposed a field mouse nest whilst mowing a wildflower meadow . I'd walked the area as i was supposed to but these things happen. We live and learn

 

[Opal]

Yeah, didn't help really did it. It's done now, nowt you can do. It was an accident so don't worry about it. I trod on a frog today.

Three Hail Mary's and an Our Father for you, JD. Hey! mrrivers, it's fine, I'm glad you enlightened us.

 

[Opal]

Joe, thanks mate and for the link.

 

[Opal]

Just looked through the window and spotted a couple of leaves moving, mummy's back.