Look out for nesting activity
There's a lot going on out there
I’ve been distracted by nesting birds a lot lately, so here’s a list of a few highlights…
Blackbirds nesting in my dad’s garden, who were peeping away a few weeks ago while I worked in his garden. The blackbirds have found a new spot this year, in the climbing roses. Here’s a photo from last year:
Pigeons attempting to nest in the wisteria, also in my dad’s garden, and failing because the sticks they’ve collected just fall through the large gaps in the pagoda thingy. On this subject, may I recommend r/stupiddovenests?1
This gull, nesting on the roof of a community centre near my dad’s and absolutely boiling in the heat:
Back at home, there are house sparrows nesting outside my window. One day I decided to do a tally to see how many times the parents visited and got to know their routine (OK, maybe I was also procrastinating). First, the male arrives and calls for his lady friend. Shortly after, the female joins him and they enter the nest. One or both may be carrying food for their young, or perhaps some nesting material to make them comfy. When I counted, the pair visited at least 9 times2 despite the fact there was torrential rain and hail during the hour, and they even stopped to mate more than once - they are dedicated beasts!
There’s also a wren nesting in the roof of one of my neighbours’ sheds. Apparently the males construct the nests and then females will come and take their pick, adding some soft furnishings to make it comfortable. Here’s a terrible photo I took through my binoculars of said wren carrying leaves that were bigger than its whole body back to the nest:
Swift boxes have started popping up all over my area, thanks to High Weald Swifts and funding from Maidstone council. Today, I became the proud owner of my own double box. A total of 120 new nesting sites have been installed (across 80 boxes), so here’s hoping some swifts claim them as their own in the near future!
I’d love to hear about any nests you’ve seen recently, or perhaps some fledglings you’ve come across, so please share in the comments.
Springwatch has been providing some very good nest watching opportunities - so if you’ve not been lucky enough to notice any nesting activity where you are, I highly recommend catching up with that!
Come to an event
Wanna make nature zines on a boat in Kent? Who wouldn’t! Join me NEXT WEEK, on Maidstone’s iconic Kentish Lady, for an event we’re calling Find Your Creative Flow: Sketch & Cruise.
Taking inspiration from the river and the wildlife that calls it home, we’ll complete a series of gentle creative exercises to help you loosen your creative muscles and find flow in your work. I will, of course, share some nature facts and noticing prompts along the way to guide your practice, and you’ll create a mini zine to take home.
This event will take place on 18th June, 17:30 - 19:30 - book your tickets here!
I’ll be at Kent County Show with High Weald Swifts on 3rd and 4th July (and Martin will be there on Sunday 5th July), talking about swifts with whoever will listen. Come along and meet our giant swift sculpture, which will also be paraded around the Torry Hill Woodland Ring at noon on Friday and Sunday and 2:45pm on Saturday.
In August, I’ll also be back at the wonderful Linnean Society, running a walk and nature zine making workshop.
We’ll walk from the Linnean Society to St James’ Park, where you’ll have time to explore on your own, noticing the sights and sounds of nature and taking notes and photos to use in your journals. I’ll share some prompts to help you connect with the natural world around you, as well as some facts and folklore about the things we come across.
We’ll then head back to the Linnean Society’s beautiful library to look at some examples of nature journals and make our own nature zines, made from one sheet of paper.
This event will be on 6th August 18:30 - 21:30 - book your tickets here!
I’m only now realising I’ve never done a post about pigeons, which is a travesty and must be rectified.
I can’t actually see the sparrow nest from my desk, so it’s possible I missed some visits.
It's always nice to have a nest to keep an eye on. Lesser Black Backed Gulls are nesting on a rooftop just across the road from us, as they have for most of the past several years (last year there was a stand off with a pair of Herring Gulls and the Herring Gulls won!). This year the nest has three chicks, who we saw for the first time this morning. They always offer great entertainment as they grow up. The nest is sited just above a large flat roof, which offers a secure playground for the youngsters before they fledge.