For the past few weeks, I’ve been woken early by a blackbird singing in a tree opposite my house. He’s staking out his territory and letting other blackbirds know that he is this year’s tenant. Equally, the robin sees the space as his patch and will fly up close to me in the garden to check what I’m up to. On St Ann’s Allotments there are great opportunities for nesting birds, with hedges on four sides of each plot, plus brambles, fruit trees, sheds and summerhouses.
According to the Cork Constitution newspaper in April 1826, pairs of blackbirds and thrushes took advantage of one of those buildings by reporting that “in a summerhouse belonging to a gentleman who has a garden on the Hungerhills, near Nottingham, there are two birds nests, a blackbird’s and a throstle’s [song thrush], both containing young.”
It’s good to know that the good folk of Cork in Ireland were interested in the nesting habits of a couple of birds in Nottingham. Similarly, but closer to home, the Nottinghamshire Review of April 1829 was thrilled to report that “Mr George Malbon, when in his garden on the Hungerhills, on Tuesday morning, found a sparrow’s nest, with two eggs therein, built in a rue tree”.
Whereas according to the Nottinghamshire Guardian in March 1849 “Mr Peach found a nest in the bottom of a woodbine tree, in his garden on the Hunger Hills, Nottingham, containing four well-feathered throstles, in full vigour, which he captured, and a neighbour is now rearing them”. The young throstles would have been better left for the adult birds to rear, but that was at a time of caged birds and egg collection.
As much as we like to think that we can create nesting habitat for birds, by keeping hedges nice and thick, finding a corner for the creation of a bramble patch or leaving old trees to die back naturally, birds will still choose a nesting site that is good for them, as Mr Barker found out in March 1869:
“As one result of the mild weather which has prevailed during this remarkable season, a pair of robins have built their nest (which now contains two eggs) amongst a number of cups and saucers in the summer-house cupboard of a garden situated at the Hunger-hills, belonging to Mr Wm. Barker, butcher, Clare-street. This is the third consecutive season robins have chosen this particular spot for a similar purpose, rearing their young with affectionate solicitude, and taking no notice whatever of the intrusion or curiosity of visitors.” (Nottingham Journal)
As you enjoy a little affectionate solicitude in your garden this Summer, please also enjoy the company of your curious feathered visitors.
