Nesting Robins

[HearMeSnore]

I have a large wooden planter in the garden which I've never filled with soil. Instead I have a couple of low shelves in it that I use to hold pots. All that I've planted in there at the moment is a tub of potatoes and a herb trough, but I've also stashed some other gardening kit in the planter to keep the patio tidy (coiled hosepipe, watering can, windowsill trays, a few empty pots...)

The problem is, there are now robins nesting in there, somewhere under one of the shelves. I know I can't disturb them or they'll abandon their nest. They might have 2 or 3 clutches between now and July... but we're moving house in June!

I'm going to have to leave the planter and everything in it, aren't I? ☹️

I would explain to the new owners and see if you can pick things up at some later date. Or you may be able to get in between clutches?

Keep an eye on them and get your stuff out after this lot have fledged.
If they're still there when you move, they may inadvertently be disturbed anyway so it may be better for them to find somewhere else before then.

Talk to the buyers

They might not come back after the first clutch - we had a nest in our allotment shed this year. They all fledged in just over a fortnight! Then just dispose of the nest - they are a work of art though.

@ErrolTheDragon

Keep an eye on them and get your stuff out after this lot have fledged. If they're still there when you move, they may inadvertently be disturbed anyway so it may be better for them to find somewhere else before then.

It is illegal to recklessly or intentionally disturb a nest. The "recklessly' bit is to cover people cutting trees in mid summer without bothering to check for nests, but would also cover disturbance during the moving process, and the "intentionally" bit would cover any attempts to persuade them to move on before moving day.

Incubation is up to two weeks, fledging happens two weeks after hatching. The parents will still look after them for a while after fledging. So after 4 weeks there's a hiatus when you may be able to remove your stuff without disturbing the nest. This isn't much use to you if they've only just laid the eggs, but might be helpful if she's already been sitting on them for a fortnight.

Well, I'm sorry to report that this isn't a problem any more.

Bloody magpies.

:( I’m sorry.

Robins are notoriously dim/trusting in choosing nesting sites, though; it’s a miracle they ever manage to reproduce at all. They’ll try again, I’m sure, and they don’t usually re-use old nesting spots, so maybe they’ll have better luck next time.