House guests

[Jacqueline Burrell]

We moved flat a few months ago and have naturally created ‘the junk room’ while the electricians, carpenters, plumbers and painters are getting the living space as we want it.
Despite the commotion of furniture being towed in and out while rooms are being decorated, a laughing dove made a nest on the window sill behind the shutters but with the window open. I closed the window and then to my delight discovered she had laid two eggs on the untidy heap of twigs. They hatched and the chicks are growing at an alarming rate.
I’m looking forward to watching them learning to fly from a ring side seat on the balcony.
The four cats are not impressed with the new family as they have been banned from the room they liked to practice mountain climbing up the crates and boxes!
Another bird that has been intriguing to watch is a one footed bulbul that has been collecting nesting material from around the garden and our balcony and managing amazingly well.

Jacqueline

[Colin Key]

Brilliant Jacqueline, just love it - hope you will take more photos as things progress.

Having birds nest in "your space" is very special. I have quite a bit of land as well as an ornamental garden and have a large population of breeders which are "my" birds. Unfortunately, nature being as cruel as it is, there are some downsides - two very aggressive male Blackbirds killed (literally pecked to death) my female Blackcap which was sitting on eggs. Why, I do not know, but the singing male Blackcap has now moved on, something we miss very much.

Colin :cry:

[PeterD]

Brilliant Jacqueline, just love it - hope you will take more photos as things progress.

Having birds nest in "your space" is very special. I have quite a bit of land as well as an ornamental garden and have a large population of breeders which are "my" birds. Unfortunately, nature being as cruel as it is, there are some downsides - two very aggressive male Blackbirds killed (literally pecked to death) my female Blackcap which was sitting on eggs. Why, I do not know, but the singing male Blackcap has now moved on, something we miss very much.

Colin :cry:

What a lovely surprise for Jacqueline I hope she gets to see them make their first flight. As you say Colin, its something special to share space with nature.
In contrast, I was so sorry to hear of what happened to your Blackcap. I know nature is cruel but I have always thought that those sorts of habits belong to the carrion birds rather than blackbirds. I have seen Carrion Crow and Magpie sitting up high observing the activities of other birds only to attack the nests of those they have been observing. The bravery of the birds whose nests are being attacked, is incredible but seldom do they drive off the attack.

PeterD

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Brilliant Jacqueline, just love it - hope you will take more photos as things progress.

Having birds nest in "your space" is very special. I have quite a bit of land as well as an ornamental garden and have a large population of breeders which are "my" birds. Unfortunately, nature being as cruel as it is, there are some downsides - two very aggressive male Blackbirds killed (literally pecked to death) my female Blackcap which was sitting on eggs. Why, I do not know, but the singing male Blackcap has now moved on, something we miss very much.

Colin :cry:

Yes, bird nesting in "your space" IS very special and I delighted to say so far so good, both chickss are doing well.

I also was sorry to read the fate of your female Blackcap, Colin, particularly as the perpetrators were Blackbirds. Blackbirds are not common in the Middle East, and I was delighted to get some close up photos of a male on my recent trip to Jordan, hopefully he was one of the gentler of the species.

Jacqueline