Nests (not just for the birds)
Birds aren’t the only ones to make elaborate homes for themselves. Mammals, reptiles, insects, and even some freshwater fish, do too. But bird nests are the most familiar to us and we have expressions that we use that reflect this like ‘flown the nest’ when children leave home, or saving money as a ‘nest egg’ for the future.
Bird nests
At its most basic, it’s a place to keep eggs or young safe. British birds create an astonishing variety of nests, from the giant eyrie of sticks passed down by generations of golden eagles in a Highland glen, to the intricate domed nest of long-tailed tits deep in a holly hedge or the floating waterweed platforms assembled by mute swans.
Not all birds build what we might call “proper” nests – some just make a small depression in the ground, and others like sea cliff ledge breeding guillemots do nothing - but those that do use a huge variety of materials, depending on the nesting time, the species and surrounding habitat. They can contain tightly woven twigs, grass or woody stems. Other species use pre-made nooks and crevices in trees, natural structures or buildings. Nests can be lined with softer or warmer materials such as animal fur, moss, mud or feathers. These materials are usually held together by spider webs, twine-like vegetation or even horsehair.
Nests can be a variety of sizes, depending on the size of the bird, the need to remain hidden and the structural limitations.
The nests can be built by either the male or female, or they can work together. They can take from a few days to a few weeks to build, depending on the size and complexity. Some bird species build a new nest every breeding season but others, such as the rook will use the same nest for many years.
Outside the breeding season some birds may make use of holes and crevices in trees, or our bird boxes, to shelter from extreme winter weather. The smallest of our birds adopt this approach often huddling together in surprisingly large numbers to keep warm over night. As many as 60 wren have been spotted in nest box – imagine the squash especially if you were the first bird in with all the others piling in on top!
We had a display of bird nests and pictures of nest boxes at the event – here they are now with the answers.
Other nests you may come across
Grey squirrel
A grey squirrel's drey is a made of up a round plait of twigs, often with conifer needles, cones or dead leaves attached. It usually measures 30cm in diameter, but can be up to 50cm, close to tree trunks or forks in branches. In parts of the Histon and Impington we have black squirrels - these are actually a form of grey squirrels, i.e the same species.
Hedgehog
Hedgehogs spend the day in cosy nests tucked into the bottom of a hedgerow or among dense undergrowth. They like to curl up in a substantial bed of dry leaves, moss and grass. Our gardens are an increasingly important habitat, and here they will move into custom-made ‘hedgehog houses’, though they are equally happy living under a shed or decking. Hedgehogs hibernate in their nests from November or December to about March.
Mason bee
If you have ever noticed bees buzzing about in front of brick walls, they were likely red mason bees. These bees get their name from their habit of nesting in cavities between brickwork, although they also use wood, hollow stems and provided ‘bee hotels’.
It is a solitary bee so, after mating, each female builds her own nest; she lines each 'cell' with mud and pollen and lays a single egg in each until the cavity is full. The larvae hatch and develop, pupating in autumn and hibernating over winter. The red mason bee is on the wing from late March until June, and feeds solely on pollen and nectar.
Common Wasp
Learn to love the wasp! This social insect is a valuable pest controller in gardens and fields. It lives in colonies ruled by a queen. The queen wasp starts work in April or May, cutting slivers of wood with her scissor-like mandibles and turning them to papier-mâché, later helped by her army of female workers. Their nest is full of perfectly arranged hexagonal paper cells in which the grubs are raised; by midsummer, up to 10,000 wasps may call this home. Nests are empty by autumn and not reused; next spring, a new generation of queen wasps starts afresh. You may have seen an abandoned wasp nest in the roof of a garden shed or loft. You can identify common British wasps using this guide.