The squatters are back

[Zorro]

For about ten years now we have had robins building a nest on our front porch light. At first they tried to build their nest directly on the light fixture, and they had nesting material hanging down about three feet. Since they seemed so intent on nesting there, I built a nesting box and fastened it to the house just above the light. We come and go through the front door constantly, and constantly whoever is sitting on the nest just flies away and comes back when the coast is clear.

[Trent M]

That was nice of you to build that box for them. I probably would have gotten rid of them!

[Urbish]

I use carefully placed plastic dinosaurs from the dollar store to deter robins and other birds from nesting above my motion light. To a bird, the unflinching reptile with gnashing teeth must look pretty scary.

[Eugene]

Squatters. There is the remnants of a trailer court just south of my house. City crew stopped by to cap off the water main leading to the trailer court. I told the city foreman that there were still people living in the trailers. Foreman said that was true and that they had been give 30 a day notice to move out because that was when the dozer would arrive to demolish what ever remains.

The water and electricity to the trailer court had been shut for months. As of this evening there are still people squatting/occupying some of the "empty" trailers.

Robins squatting, OK!, people not so good.

[Zorro]

I just wish I got a picture of their first nesting attempt on that light. It looked like Spanish moss the way they had it hung all over the place. Once I put the box there and cleaned up the light, it has been no problem at all. For a couple of years they didn't nest there, so I took the box down. Then they started again with the "Spanish moss", so I put a new box there. (That was a couple of years ago.) It was amazing that they built the nest so quickly too. Cindy said that it was built by the following morning which is amazing! Stay tuned for some hatch-ling pics!
Eugene, you gave me a great idea, How about bird houses that look like trailers?

[Mike H]

I forgot to close the weather proof cover for the power box on the side of the greenhouse/sauna house and now there is a nest with eggs on it

Mike

[v w]

Back in the 80's I owned a resort. There was an outside bell for the telephone on the side of the garage which I'm sure could be heard for half a mile. A robin built a nest on top of it. I have no Idea if the young birds had any hearing left by the time they fledged. Mother robin did not fly when the phone rang. She nested there for several years. Vern