Backyard Breeders

Every year, the BTO receive many records of birds nesting in our gardens. Many of these nest records are from your typical garden species such as Blue Tits in nest boxes and Blackbirds in garden shrubs. However, once in a while our gardens can surprise us.

For example, sometimes our garden birds can nest in the most peculiar of places. Last week, a Cambridge student found a Blackbird nesting in their bike basket! Three chicks have since hatched and hopefully they will fledge successfully.



Additionally, gardens can provide excellent nesting habitat for the rarer garden breeders. Last week in Lancaster, a local resident found a Chiffchaff nest embedded in some weeping sedge underneath a holly hedge in their back garden!



So it just goes to show that nests can pop up anywhere and sometimes where you least expect it! Why not keep your eyes peeled for nesting activity in your garden? You never know what might turn up on your doorstep!

Thanks to Emily Scragg for the Blackbird photo and Elisabeth Shakespeare for the Chiffchaff nest photo.