There is a robin family in the garden aiming for the Darwin Award. In the
garden I have a large pile of hedge trimmings next to the compost heap. The
trimmings are due to be put through a shredder and composted. Not for a
while though. Nathan located a nest in the pile of hedge trimmings. When he
spotted it, it was empty apart from three small eggs. I've gone out there
this afternoon and greeting me was a pair of bright black eyes, a beak and
the unmistakeable colour of a robin - sat on the nest, incubating the eggs.
This nest is in plain sight - and is only waist height off the ground. I
have three cats. My neighbours have cats. The garden is visited by magpies,
jays, jackdaws and squirrels. Plus the cats have caught the odd rat (well we
do live out in the countryside). So it's not looking good for the nesting
robin family. I keep my cats in of a night time, but I can't stop other cats
and I can't stop the visiting avian predators nor the squirrels, all of whom
find eggs and baby birds a tasty high protein snack. It's the decision of
the sentimental humans in Chateau Unfit Family, that we'll be giving the
robin family a chance. My cats in from dusk to dawn and there'll be some
good robin food put out - mealworms and the like at the bird feeding
stations. But I don't fancy the chances of Mr & Mrs Robin and their
developing brood.

Cheers, helen s