So, last post I mentioned our robin. He does flit between a couple of houses in the estate, so this is his territory now and has been since last autumn.
I postulated on if he had a girlfriend, because there was another robin hanging about. I thought he might be gay because this other robin looked the same, just a bit more shy and hungrier. Google to the rescue!
The male and female look the same, which was a surprise to me. She will likely sing less, or not at all, or not as loudly.
I’m still having trouble deciding who is whom. In any case, they both are around all the time.
Thursday, I noticed that there were a lot of dead strawberry leaves in the grass right next to the patio. I picked them up, thinking that I must have not gathered them all up when I cleared out the strawberry patch the weekend before. Friday, there were more leaves. I was baffled as it hadn’t been windy, and why were they all piled up in one place? I picked them up again and into the compost bin they went.
Yesterday morning, early, there were yet more leaves. Then I remembered that there are starlings above the roll-up door at work, and they leave a huge mess of sticks and whatnot on the asphalt. So l looked up from where I was picking leaves and was literally face-to-face with our Hoselock hose reel.
Well, shit.
Well, that’s unexpected!
Well, we have a problem.
I cannot roust them. Just can’t. We will continue our normal activities, and according to Google, we should get our hose back in about 6 weeks after eggs are laid. Then I’m turfing them out and taking apart the reel to clean it – we got a 40-meter reel for a reason!
Unless they got freaked out by me finding the nest and pick a new one, which can happen. But seriously, this faces our sliding doors so cats are staring that them all the time, and the dog is in and out quite a lot… they had a bad realtor or estate agent!
heretherebespiders 
Oh my! Just like real pets….never where they should be and always where they shouldn’t! Still it might prove interesting now that you know right where they are!
I’m torn between wanting them to move on and excited about what I might see!
We were planning on moving, but decided to stay where we are for another year or so. Glad we did, because we just found out today that we have a crap realtor! We would have ended up in a hose house, I’m sure of it.
I’ve heard they will nest in coat pockets. So perhaps it coulda been worse! Glad you escaped some nightmare house-selling/hunting.
Nobody needs that sort of stress. I don’t care how big the pocket is, I’m positive it would’ve leaked.
I had this happen with my mail box, only I didn’t find birds or eggs in it and thought it was a nasty neighbor messing with me, and after the second time I turned out the box the wrens went somewhere else.
They do pick some awkward places! Good on you for waiting but it’s going to be a long six weeks.
i’ve found that birds can nest in some mindless places during this time of year… we almost always have one hanging over the front and back doors…. crazy little critters!! 😉
Makes you wonder how they survive!
They do like secure spots and this has it all..almost perfect shelter and a room with a move….good luck grandma hahahaahahah 🙂
Ha! Thanks. They were in there again today so it is still game on. Unfortunately that is an expensive hose reel and we might have to have a company rep come to clean it out! Good thing hubby works for the people who sell them locally!
Always a weird and expensive place..ours took to the chimney flue…fab..:)
They do find the oddest places to nest. Watch out, they may be expecting you to cater dinners..and a bit of arrogance there right in the cats’ faces. RC would just be frozen in place drooling and quivering all the time. Can’t wait to follow along as the family grows
We do feed them, every day! Found out today that old hamburger meat is not palatable, but cut up raisins are nicer than pecans. They sure haven’t moved out.