Robins re-nesting

[Scotts]

Hello All.
I have a question that I hope someone can answer for me. In my garden shed every spring I have a family of Wrens y Robins who nest there. I was surprised that the Robins allow the Wrens to nest only 2ft from their own nest. After the first year the Wren returned and desperately tried to find a place in the shed to nest, but chose a rag hanging on a nail and the nest fell due to the weight. "Luckily" it fell before any eggs were laid. So I removed the Wrens nest and since then every year they have built a new nest in the same nest box. The Robins nested in the corner the first year. I then decided to make a nest site for them, so I put a large plant pot on it's side and used pieces of wood & other various items to secure it. They nested there the following year. Back to my question (sorry for my ramblings) Can Robins return & nest in the same old nest? Or like the Wren will it look for a new space to build a new nest? Do I remove or leave the nest? If nobody knows for sure I will have to make another plant pot site.

[Scotts]

If anyones curious, the Wrens only have one clutch every year but the Robins have 2. The one Robin enters my kitchen for his/her mealworms. He/she also eats from my hand. I have some pictures of he/she in the kitchen. This spring I will try & take some of he/she eating from my hand. I tried last spring but I took the photo just before he/she landed or just after, so you only see my hand & a brown blur. I also have one brave House Sparrow who enters the house to feed his chicks in spring. (I scatter many mealworms in the garden for the others also)

[posie]

Hello Scotts,and a very warm welcome to you. that is a nice account you give of your garden birds, I don't know about the nest ,sorry, but I have a robin that feeds from my bucket of rabbit food while I am feeding them, and he quite often comes up out of the bucket on the cup of food, one day he went into the hutch with a rabbit and was eating at the same time as the rabbit out of the same dish. once again welcome,you'll like it on here I know you will. POSIE

[Jason Claxton]

Hi Scotts,welcome to WAB.I think that many species of birds build a new nest each year,which helps keep down parasites,the Robin is likely to do the same.But as you say you have the option of putting another pot nest site up as well. I cannot say for sure.Well done though for giving the Robins a homeJason

[Hedera]

The robins will quite likely return, but wrens have a habit of making several nest sites, and the female chooses which she fancies. Must be a bit frustrating for Mr. Wren!

[Scotts]

I never knew the male Wren builds several nests and the female chooses one. It's nice that shes choosen my shed 3 out of the last 4 years. Maybe it's the safe environment and past successful clutches I hope she chooses it again this year. I see the Wrens in the garden everyday so hopefully it'll be 4 out of 5. My Robins have returned and I've taken some good photos of one of them eating from my hand, my sons hand and my mothers hand.

[posie]

You haven't had a definite answer yet to your original question, you could look it up on google. Posie.

[Dogghound]

I know they can have 2-3 broods in a year. They dont reuse a previous years nest but may use a nest from the same year so I would leave the nest until the end of the breeding season (About September time).

[wizzo]

Hi Scotts and a big welcome - Wizzo