Flower Power

[Maz]

They are more like Swifts than Swallows though as no white and seem to be mainly brown. Although the mud nest seems more like a Swallows nest. I'm not sure but I think there may be a baby bird in the entrance of that nest in the photo. It looks like a yellow beak pointing up and brown feathers under.

 

[Maz]

Apparently Swifts don't build nests like that, they fly into roof spaces through holes and crevices and don't use much nesting material. But as they're the wrong colour for Swallows it's a mystery.

 

[Maz]

Did a close up crop and it's not a baby bird. It looks like a bit of sheeps wool and farm string in there! (Orange string) and maybe some feathers of a bird as well.

 

[Coco61]

More and more of a puzzle. Hope you solve it Maz!

 

[Maz]

I just find the nest interesting Apparently they help stick it all together with saliva.

 

[Member ID2]

It is fascinating how they build a nest that stays up there. I'm really curious now and hope to find out what kind of bird it is.

 

[Member ID2]

I think Hollyhocks are one of my favourite plants because they are indistructable and spring up in different places.
Those were bought in a boot sale years ago and i had no idea of their colour. Sadly, they were all pastels and i prefer bold colours but its not their fault.

 

[Maz]

They are really lovely though!

It is fascinating how they build a nest that stays up there. I'm really curious now and hope to find out what kind of bird it is.

I think they must be Swifts, but it's confusing because all the bird info says Swifts go through holes in roofs and eaves inside the roof to make nests (or through holes in tree trunks). And don't build mud nests like Swallows.

I managed to catch a very blurred photo of one through an upstairs window - which is cropped and enlarged (and very blurred!) and makes me realise how dirty the windows are on the outside when it's magnified like that! Another job needs doing! A lot of the muck in that corner is the birds brushing against the window as they go in and out of the side hole in the nest though. (My excuse!) They are not that big though - they look about 6 or 7" long.

 

[Maz]

Hi Frida, it’s a little indulgent but I buy a robin friendly bird mix from Ark Wildlife. I have discovered over the last 3 years that the robins’ favourite food from that is a pinkish tube shaped piece. They don’t like all of the mix, no doubt the cheaper fillers are the bits they turn their beaks up at! So each half teaspoon contains some pink stuff, a little peanut and sunflower seeds. All broken down by me to a single peck size. So no waste! and then each evening I put out a spoon of the bird mix in case I miss them asking. Whoever likes that knows the pattern and it always goes.
I could put out a larger amount on a little bird feeder tray I bought from AW but in the end the delightful array of small garden birds that came daily to that were elbowed out by masses of pigeons and some crows. So I stopped that.
It was a shame as it was a lot of fun to watch during lockdown. I learnt to identify different birds and was surprised by the variety here.

Coco, I would love to have Robins coming to the door Your Robin clearly knows where the gourmet food is.

 

[elusive]

The hollyhocks are lovely Beryl, the colour just works with plants like that even when you’re not a fan of pastels.

I think swifts are probably the best guess Maz.
Is that a new nest that appeared this year? Just wondering if they might have gone into an old nest or even found a crevice somewhere behind it.
I always get a bit of a shock when I take a photo out of the window, photos always magnify the dirt!

 

[Maz]

I think they are Swifts too. I don't think the nest was there before. There is one next door as well. Bird pages say Swifts are bigger than Swallows and about 10" long and these are smaller than that. Maybe some are babies flying the nest.

An old nest would make sense as all the birds sites say Swifts don't do mud nests. I'm sure I'd have noticed it before though! If I get chance in the next few days, I'll set the camera up on the tripod and video - they are too fast to photograph in flight.

 

[elusive]

It’s really hard unless you actually see the different species side by side then it seems much more obvious, it could well be fledglings you’re seeing now so that might be why they’re smaller.
Video should make it a bit easier to see if you can get some.

 

[Maz]

I think they probably are Swifts but they must have mutated into being mud nest builders! I can't see what other bird would have built the nest earlier as I don't think we've had bird's nest there before! Maybe I should let the RSPB know!

 

[elusive]

It is s till a bit of a mystery, maybe you should ask them!

 

[Coco61]

The bird book I use says that an adult swift is ‘sooty brown with grey on the throat’ Length 17cm (6 1/2in)
‘Habitat …especially where there are old buildings. Nest - in crevices in buildings or cliffs. Use straws and feathers picked up in the air and glued with saliva to make a cup’ Eggs 2-4 and incubated for 18 days by both parents and fly at 35/36 days.

 

[Maz]

Thank you Coco. Yes I've seen much the same (although it said 10" but the size on yours seems about right). But their nests are usually inside a roof and they go through a hole and not much to the nests. So they are almost certainly Swifts but wrong nest!

 

[Coco61]

Updates - the fuschia continues to do well and grow taller and flowers are coming out higher up too.

The poppies still flourish but have fallen over slightly after one recent heavy downpour and the seed pods are developing well. This has meant that my Fairy Fishing Rods that normally dominate that patch have only now shown themselves. They had to be thinned back after the winter.

Maestro’s pot Pinks are trying hard but the cuttings never took.

 

[Coco61]

The fairy fishing rods are now starting to flower and others too.

 

[elusive]

Good to hear your fuchsia is doing well Coco, poppies do tend to get a bit battered in the rain but they’ve done beautifully this summer, such a shame about the cuttings but I do hope Maestro’s pot pinks keep going & thrive again.

 

[Coco61]

With a careful look, you can see one pink flower head starting to show.