| Mooney Cam 2008
The Story So Far
Mooney Cam The Story So Far
In late March we all had high hopes that the Blue Tits would once again nest in the box in Derek's garden. After last years' drama when only one chick fledged, we had great expectations for a better breeding year in 2008. Plan A was in place. The camera was already installed so all we needed was our pair of Blue Tits. The birds showed some interest in the box, but that was it…they never moved in. Time for Plan B!
Luckily, a nest box with a built-in camera had been erected in the Mary Aikenhead Day Centre in Donnybrook. This had been put in place when the Mooney Show co-ordinated the development of the new garden for the centre in 2007. Great news came in early April, when the clients noticed that a pair of Blue Tits had begun to build a nest. Plan B was all set to go and, on 10th April, we spoke with Sister Marie and Sister Joan on air. They promised to keep an eye on developments. On 24th April we heard great news…they had seen a single egg in the nest. With this news we went live with the webcam the following day. Things looked very quiet over the next few days, and following several visits to the centre, it quickly became obvious that the male bird was alone. The female was no longer to be found. We can't be sure what has happened to her but one thing was certain, she is no longer there. Blue Tits fall prey to many things from Sparrowhawks, cats and even cars…the Donnybrook Road can be a dangerous place for humans to cross, never mind Blue Tits. Perhaps the male can attract another female but, for the moment, the nest is no longer being used. Time for Plan c!
This time, we moved from Blue Tits to a different species…but one which everybody knows and loves…the Robin. Our nest is in an active and busy garage in the back of a house on the north side of Dublin. The birds began to build a nest in the most unlikely place…in the corner of an old kitchen cabinet on the wall inside the garage. They are totally unconcerned by the human activity as people constantly come in and out of the building and even ignore the family pet, Rocky the dog.
The birds began to build the nest in April and the female began to lay her clutch of eggs around April 22nd. She has laid a total of five eggs. Like many other species, Robins do not begin to incubate their eggs until the very last egg is laid and on the 24th of April, the female began incubating. Incubation will last for 13-15 days on average so we expect to see the young hatch anytime from 6th to 9th May. The chicks will be fed at the nest for approximately two weeks before they fledge and will be cared for by their parents for another two to three weeks after that. Unlike Blue Tits, Robins can often raise more than one family in a season.
Male and female Robins are identical but it is the female that is doing the incubation. During the early stages of incubation, the male will feed her at the nest site but she will leave the nest for short periods of time to wash, feed and stretch her wings. On 2nd May, the male was observed to feed her in the back garden, a way of strengthening their pair bond. Like all Robins, he is currently spending lots of time singing from the nearby trees…keeping all neighbouring Robins well away from the territory.
The surrounding garden is perfect for breeding Robins. There are lots of trees to provide larvae, flies and worms, and a lovely pond for them to drink and bathe. Both birds will need to keep up their strength and keep their feathers in perfect condition.
With cameras rolling from 2nd May, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed for a successful breeding month for all our birds. Watch this space….
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