78. Robins Nest
I found this nest in my mother’s garden yesterday: a thing of great beauty. It is as light as a feather and the intricate way the twigs and grass are woven together really is a work of art. Most of the layer of moss around the outside has been lost, but it is probably a robin’s nest. One of last year’s that has come down with the recent winds.
There is a good Woodland Trust article explaining how to identify the most common empty (UK) birds nests. Apparently robins are famous for nesting almost anywhere and have been found in kettles, lanterns, flower pots, car bonnets, boots, post boxes and even clothes pockets. Usually you can find them nesting close to the ground in their more common habitats : log piles, tree trunk hollows, hedges and ivy. They choose quiet places and do not like to be disturbed.
Their nests are built by the female robin, using grass, dead leaves and moss and are often lined with hair. The moss is packed out around the outside of the nest to fill out whatever surface / cavity the nest is resting on and to stabilise it. It must also keeps it really cosy.
There are a lot of robins in the garden and a lot of nesting happening in the hedges. This one I will carefully keep to use for Flower School - it will be perfect for an Easter-themed table arrangement. What a beautiful, unexpected natural treasure to find on a sunny, early spring day.
