Robin v Wren

[slips]

Firstly can I say hello to all, and thank you to anyone answering my questions (Newbie)

Under the canopy in the garden we have a spot between the roof and brick support and for a few years now the Robin has used it to nest, but now it seems a wren has taking a fancy to this spot and started building its nest there,

Now the Robin has turned up in this same spot as it normally does every year, now although I love watching all birds going about their business, I cant claim to know much about them unfortunately, but I do know the robin can be territorial and a vicious little monkey at times,

Now does this mean the Wren will be attacked and evicted from its almost complete nest or will the Robin realise he has lost out and take it in his stride and go elsewhere?

Cheers…….. Steve

[JeffH]

Hi Steve and welcome to WAB

Whilst it's true that Robins are very territorial in terms of their own kind, they don't seem to mind other kinds of birds nesting nearby.

At the moment we have both Robins and Wrens nesting in an ivy-clad pillar some 6 feet from our patio doors and with their nests less than 3 feet apart.

I would hope, therefore, that provided there's sufficient nesting space for both of them in the area you mention, they'll get along fine.

However, please bear in mind that male wrens often build several nests and that once they've attracted and paired up with a female, she decides which one to lay in. So it may well be that the nest being built by the wren won't actually be used.

I hope that helps and please do let us know how things develop.

Jeff

[Tursiops2]

Hallo steve and welcome to WAB. I don't think you need worry, robins nest earlier than a lot of other birds, chances are your pair have already raised a brood in a new site, and are happy to let the wrens take over the old one.
T2

[slips]

Thanks for that info, but should have held back on that question lol, as I have just finished working in my small garden shed this morning and while I was in there the robin came in at sat behind me just watching away, it made a few of these visit within a two hour span, until it came back with some nest building material in its beak,
But it never made any attempt to build in there until I went out to make a cuppa, as I came back I saw it in a corner of a shelf building, and for some reason although it will sit almost on top of me but it wont actually go to the nest site to build while I’m there?

The other problem was that when I’m finished in the shed I have to lock the door because I have a stash of bird seed etc in there, and mice and rats, and even the Fox has got in, so what I have done is actually pulled part of the top slat off to allow access for it,

Now I assume the nest builder is the male? And if so will the female, who I think is not as tame as the male, tolerate sharing the shed with me to raise her young?

Cheers….steve

[slips]

Originally Posted by JeffH

Hi Steve and welcome to WAB

Whilst it's true that Robins are very territorial in terms of their own kind, they don't seem to mind other kinds of birds nesting nearby.

At the moment we have both Robins and Wrens nesting in an ivy-clad pillar some 6 feet from our patio doors and with their nests less than 3 feet apart.

I would hope, therefore, that provided there's sufficient nesting space for both of them in the area you mention, they'll get along fine.

However, please bear in mind that male wrens often build several nests and that once they've attracted and paired up with a female, she decides which one to lay in. So it may well be that the nest being built by the wren won't actually be used.

I hope that helps and please do let us know how things develop.

Jeff

well Jeff I'm sure then that the female wren will decline that spot, because its near the door we all use to go into the garden, the male flies off at a 100mph, lol when we walk past it, even though its just out of sight of us,

I doubt then that she will even visit that area, especially as she's the mum to-be, and knows best, lol

you say the male makes several nest's, but would these be very close or could they each be a few gardens away?

cheers.....steve

[SparklySarah]

We had an interesting robin problem. It decided to build its est in the green house... which was then out of use... much to the annoyance of my granny!! The nest was beautifully made in a funnel rapped up under some felt covering:

The chicks have flown now, so it can be used again! :P

[slips]

Originally Posted by SparklySarah

We had an interesting robin problem. It decided to build its est in the green house... which was then out of use... much to the annoyance of my granny!! The nest was beautifully made in a funnel rapped up under some felt covering:

The chicks have flown now, so it can be used again! :P

Hi Sarah, well it looks like it will have to share the shed with me, unfortunately there’s a lot of stuff in there that’s work related, so it wont be practical for me not to use it,

it did decide to actually come in while i was working in the shed! So hopefully it will tolerate me, although I have banished the kids from using it though, lol

the nest is head height at the end of a shelf?

I'll keep you up-dated on what it decides to do, lol (nice pic BTW)

...steve....