Hello everyone, just looking for someones experience or knowledge on this. I have been watching a pair of robins which would be their 3rd year now, first year they raised 3 broods(one in the box the other 2 in the ivy). Last year i thought the first brood was in the box as i could see he sitting in the box for long periods, never saw any eggs then i thought they tried nesting elsewhere that year. This year about a week ago i noticed she was acting like she was incubating again in the box and the male was feeding her when she came out every so often, not seen the female much today and the nest is empty and completely intact. My question is would a female get rid of these infertile eggs potentially or does she think she is laying eggs and behaving like she has been in reality she isn’t? I don’t know if age can effect these birds nesting habits. Thank you in advance for any opinions
Sounds like the nest was predated. Either that or deserted. However tempting, it is very important to leave nests undisturbed. Any predators in the area will notice fussing parents, and may be drawn to take a look at what humans are peering in to look at. As it failed last year too, it is also possible a mammal may be able to get in. There's also the possibility of a parent being predated. Any of those.
Thank you for your reply. I would never disturb a nest, its in a quite part of the garden and being an open front box i have done my best to give it as much cover too. Something tells me its a bit different to the usual reasons a nest fails, saw no broken eggs and nest looked immaculate. Will never know but just wondered peoples previous experiences with robins
No problem. If there were eggs, and there no longer are, it is common for them to be taken by magpies and jays (and some other predators) without leaving a trace.
They could be still nesting...they don't lay until mid April...or it could be that the safe place has been compromised...let's hope not...I have a pair nesting under the eves of our neighbours (unused) garage..he's so busy lol..he fetches, she builds just like a human lol...
Moi said:...they don't lay until mid Apri...
...they don't lay until mid Apri...
Not true. Where did you get that from?
Aaa...The Woodland Trust...
Google it and not one single website says different...
Not surprised a lot of websites are wrong, as they're only as good as those who populate them. Copy and paste plagiarism is rife, incl in the news media these days. I also stopped using google as it promotes alternative facts. I use duckduckgo but there are other search engines available.
Up to you, but which do you think is more accurate? The above, or having a robin nestbox outside the lounge window that has been used most of the last 12 years or more? I've also quickly looked at emails from last Spring. Parents had two robin nests on shelving for pots. They emailed on 26th March to state, "believe robins have hatched". (not laid....hatched!). They also emailed on 24th April (which is close to mid April) to state the second attempt had been predated.
It would be good if everyone and every website corrected errors, but it doesn't happen. That is how mistakes become mainstream. There are now 25 days to an advent calendar for example......
Lets all just use each others experiences and opinions to discuss these topics, i doubt hardly any of us are expects in the field. From my experience in the last 3 years with Robins nesting in my garden they start building around the February mark which by end of March beginning of april they had fledged successfully out from a box, the second brood which fledged 24th may 2023 because i have the pictures was 50/50 in success. I feel they fledged a lot earlier then the first brood and apparently this can happen if the nest is lower down and potentially less safe to stay there longer. They also went for a 3rd brood in next doors garden, the male typically looks after the fledglings whilst the female starts building the new nest for the next brood, a robin pair seem to work very well together
Your experiences are facts. Mine are facts. Opinions that are bereft of facts are incorrect. You are quite rightly adding more proof that robins can, do and regularly lay eggs before mid April. I am not on here to argue. I was simply correcting an incorrect post so anyone reading it in the future doesn't repeat a mistake that websites clearly have.