View From The Shed by Volunteer Shaun - HOME STICKY HOME

HOME STICKY HOME

Before we get into this week’s blog, here’s a quiz question.

Q - Where do birds sleep?

A - Wherever they please. Each species will have their own general preferences (a scrape on the ground, pressed against the trunk of a tree, sitting on a branch etc) but the truth is that they sleep wherever they want, making a decision each night depending on the weather and safety conditions at the time. Or they might not sleep properly at all, instead just closing down half of their brain but keeping one eye open, just in case. I know, it’s a bizarre concept that I’ll hopefully go into in more depth in a later blog.

One answer that definitely won’t win you any points (and the response guaranteed to set off flashing lights and klaxons if you gave it on a quiz show) is, “in a nest”. No bird ever makes a nest for sleeping purposes each night. Ever. That would be just too much hard work, a use of energy that they can’t afford. However some birds will collect together in a communal roost for warmth, comfort and safety. They will “nestle” together, a word which, of course, comes from the same origins as “nest”. Go back far enough and you’ll find it means “to sit down”, which indicates a nest’s  true use.

Nests have one purpose and one purpose only; to keep the eggs and subsequent chicks safe. Each nest is specifically designed to help the incubating parent provide the eggs with the correct temperature and humidity for that particular species. Its sides help to keep them from falling out, both pre- and post- hatching, and its soft lining (which can differ wildly depending on the species) will keep egg and chick from damage on the twigs that make the nest structurally sound. When incubating, the parent bird is said to be “sitting on eggs”, going back to the original meaning that I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Aren’t words and birds great? I don’t just throw this stuff together, you know.

At the moment, all over our Old Moor reserve birds are building nests, laying eggs and raising chicks. The Warblers are feeding young in their carefully crafted cups, woven of grasses and reeds, usually secreted deep within the safety of a bush or other vegetation.

Goldfinches seem to need home comforts, lining their nests with feathers, lichens and moss to keep it warm and dry. On the other hand, the hardy Bullfinch doesn’t bother with such niceties, making a simple rough bowl of sticks with very little protection from the elements.

Some water birds such as Coots will make a raft on which they build the nest so that as water levels rise and fall, the precious nests will always float slightly above the water surface.

Like many human houses, a bird’s nest might start off as a model of cleanliness whilever it’s just mum and dad in there, but as soon as the children arrive it quickly becomes a mess. Fortunately most birds either deliver their poo in gift-wrapped packages for their parents to dispose of or aim it artfully over the side of the nest in an impressive but disgusting squirt. See my recent Poo Blog for more details. But however much they try, accidents happen. Meat eaters will leave miniscule scraps in the nest which will attract bacteria, bugs and such dirty unpleasantry. Fleas can infest the birds and their home.

Disinfectant plants can help and several species including last week’s heroes the Starlings, will include them in their nest building. Some plants have insecticidal properties and many birds instinctively know to include them in their constructions.

Visitors to Old Moor may have noticed that the cigarette bin in our smoking area has a big notice taped to it warning people not to use it due to a family of Blue Tits having taken up residence within. This might seem an unusual and even repulsive choice of box in which to build their nest but it’s not as strange as it might appear. Nicotine is a powerful parasite repellent and many House Sparrows have been observed deliberately taking abandoned cigarette butts into their nests to stop infestation. The Momma Blue Tit obviously knows this too. Strange but true.

I say “Momma” as in most cases it’s the female of the species who makes the nest. She’ll be doing most of the incubating too so she’s the one who makes sure it’s a good home. One exception though is the Wren. The male will make a nest to show the female how good a parent he is. However the female Wren is a picky bird and she likes to have several homes to choose from. That’s why each male Wren can build as many as twelve nests each spring in the hopes that one of them will please a lady bird. The rest will be wasted, but if it means that he passes on his genes, it’s worth the effort.

And of course in most cases the annual nest is a once and only deal. Yes, some big birds like Ospreys will return to their nest year in, year out and set about spring cleaning before mating, but these are very much the exception to the rule. Most birds build a new nest every year, their old home having rotted and blown away by autumn and winter weather.

Can you imagine if ours were like that? We tend to live in the same home for years on end and freshen it up with a bit of Spring cleaning every so often. Which reminds me, I have to clean the bathroom. Would somebody pass me a HazMat suit?