Nesting

My borrowed magnolia

I've aways been intrigued by country gardens which can borrow nearby views of open countryside, say, or the sea. This year I have become aware of a view I can borrow, not of distant open vistas but of a magnificent magnolia tree about six gardens down. For a very short window of time, this tree attracts the eye when you look past the trellis to the north west. Although rather open-branched, birds do sometimes nest in magnolia trees and, of course, the flowers attract pollinating insects so I rather fancifully feel I am borrowing the wildlife benefits too. 

Most birds have been very busy this week spring cleaning and acquiring new bedding and decorations. Some indeed have already been laying because I found a broken pigeon's egg near the compost heap. But that's a bit too early for most birds. The sparrows have been tugging away at bits of dried up clematis near one of the metal arches. I see them everywhere with little tufts of nesting material in their beaks. When they eventually manage to tear a bit off, they fly with it to the places under the roof guttering where they have their terraced nests.  

sparrow with collection of nesting material

The crow has systematically stripped all the bark from one of the branches of the lime tree. I watched in horrified fascination as it did this.  The crow's nest is a bit further down the street but both birds are frequent visitors to my garden. Meanwhile the bits of wool I left  as offerings draped over twigs in the privet bushes have been rudely ignored. 

Crow stripping a branch

                                                 

The shrubby jungle at the far end of the garden where there is less human control and there is lots of ivy covering trees and unpruned shrubs is a perfect haven for many birds. I can hear the songs of wrens, robins, blackbirds, great tits and I know there are many nests hidden in the foliage. 

                                   

Shrubby jungle full of hidden nests

The trail camera has picked up the daily rounds of the fox and the squirrel which seem to follow exactly the same route two or three times a day, well aware of each other and I now realise well aware of me.

Here are three trailcam pictures of  some of the garden birds.