Nature
Notes
by Society members
featured in Wharfedale Newspapers
Nesting time
I suspect that long-tailed tits are nesting in or near our
garden. They appear about every half-hour for a quick fat-ball
snack, then off again. They’ll need extra energy - their
nest is an amazing construction, an elastic bag made of moss,
lichen and cobwebs, lined with feathers. A keen naturalist
once dissected an old nest and found over 2,000 feathers.
Imagine the labour involved in collecting and placing these.
My Malhamdale friend is faced with a nesting-time dilemma.
Last year the swallows that nest above his workshop had difficulty
securing their nest because of the dry weather in April. Keen
to help, he provided them with a dampened heap of earth in
the yard outside. It was part of the spoil from a newly dug
pond, excellent, sticky clay. The nest was built in two days
- a fine, strong structure - and broods were reared, fledged
and left - a success story. Then, later in the year, he noticed
birdlime around the still-sturdy nest. Wrens were using it
as a cosy winter roost. Fine - another success.
Then, about three weeks ago, he found the original nest had
grown a second storey - an untidy ball of moss and other vegetation.
A cock wren had taken full advantage of such a secure and
sheltered niche. We now await with interest the swallows’
return. My guess is that they will build another nest nearby
- perhaps again with a little help in the provision of materials.
Of course, the wren’s nest may not be occupied. The
cock wren builds several of these nests and then conducts
the female round them. She chooses one, lines it with feathers
and there she lays her eggs. Admittedly, the male sometimes
installs another hen in one of the spares, which shortens
the odds for our friend’s workshop site. We await news!
Meanwhile - the summer migrants are starting to arrive. We
heard a chiffchaff singing on the fringe of Middleton Woods
behind the Ilkley Lido. He was still in the process of polishing
up his song so, instead of the nsteady chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff,
we got the occasional hiccough - chiff-chiff-chaff. Another
WNS friend heard several in the Washburn last week, and also
some early blackcaps sketching out their songs that will soon
develop into that characteristic rich warbling. I shall soon
be retracing my usual route on the Moor listening for my favourites,
willow warblers.
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