Following on from the railway Oystercatcher, a couple of other bizarre nests have come to light this week...
Just last weekend I was shown this Blackbird which is nesting in a coiled up hosepipe right out in the open on the side of a house in Skegness. The female seems quite happy there, and tolerates regular trips to the garage!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktB6DCOo_5R7zDimIZ48c4n2b0SfDTLb91Zo0bErK6x4GpIQ4S366pu6_tM0uDnV6cAFn75t5X4lAXgmWRzUTAp9GQeMkd35ryXEAPebK6uM2Bk49-xHzw0DUf4AB1UOKJCcu3eUmId5x/s320/blabi.jpg)
Also in Lincolnshire is this Robin family. The nest is just two 2 ft from the back door of the house, where the comings and goings of the adults are regularly watched by 5 english setters. After years of not being used, as soon as the box acquired a decorative Kingfisher, the birds moved in!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJI5VPW86MYiFgPcFxGW8yDUx3fFJVWuD8BsDEqkIt3mzw1x04qE1A7g-DckHKt8dipG3yi2Y-PNRVB-42G2bOCLDtKcCHhH1iK5PU5fh6Z0oOonVpx3vYbJb4ntHKQUso8R8CenlFsQL-/s320/robin.jpg)
Since 2005 this Swallow has chosen to nest on top of a motorbike wheel in a barn in Hoylake, Wirral. They've successfully raising chicks in all five years, with 20 raised so far.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnyP6UnXS4YUoB-PTFzc6p453xlx8GZmqDF69CfvyQhE2Gmsm7PH-mq9YSRXFJjhC-os9vGdPYbZ8SoicmCyFspFs_Snb-3yWCIHJig8-25lIz5uDPsy3Vt7YFC7YuAttQrjXxILly5yn/s320/swallow.jpg)
Thanks to John Elliott for the Swallow photo, Keith Bowden for the Robin photo, and Mick Briggs for showing me the Blackbird.