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House Finch nest in bad place for chicks

14 years ago

I have 2 ferns hanging on my front porch. The day we brought them home, two families of finches started to build nests in each of them.

The chicks just hatched, 5 in one nest and 5 in the other. One of the nests is among the fronds, the other is sitting up higher on the edge of the pot and very much exposed. There is one frond that gives it a bit of cover but not much. I'm trying to keep the ferns watered so they continue to grow but every time I go on the porch the finch parents pitch a fit, of course.

We have a squirrel nest in a pine that is right next to our roof. The squirrels regularly get onto the roof, climb down the house & get on the porch railing. We have a feeder hanging between the porch & a tree & despite having a baffle the squirrels jump to the feeder for suet. I did take the suet down thinking maybe the squirrels will be less interested in the area. I doubt it, though.

I'm concerned that esp. when the little ones start to chirp & move around, not only squirrels but cats will be attracted to the nests. It irritates me that there are so many people here who leave their cats outside & there are some feral cats as well.

We've been trying to think of some type of barrier to put up but the squirrels could easily hang down from the roof/gutter to get to the chicks. And cats can climb.

Here's a pic of the setup. It's the 2 ferns in the front, there's a 3rd fern on the side with no nests.

Thanks, Linda...

Acworth, GA (NW of Atlanta)

Here is a link that might be useful:

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Comments (5)

natasza
14 years ago
It actually looks like a vry good spot for a nest and the only thing you can do is to let it be.
kendra2003
14 years ago
I've had birds nest in my hanging plants before, and never had a problem. They fledged successfully. I really don't see what you could do to block squirrels. Maybe feed the squirrels out by a tree to keep their attention elsewhere?
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I have a RobinÃ¢ÂÂs nest in a bush next to my house. The eggs hatched and I was observing the mom (or in the case of Robins it may be the dad. IÃ¢ÂÂm not sure) feeding the chicks. He or she is constantly here bringing worms to the nest. A few days ago we had some unusually cold weather followed by very bad rain storms. I peeked into the bush a few days ago, careful not to get closer than 5 ft and noticed the 3 chicks in the nest but looking barely alive. I left them alone and waited to see if the mom or dad came back. Sure enough they did and they have kept coming back every few minutes throughout the day with worms in their beaks. They would fly into the bush and presumably feed the chicks. I was encouraged that they may survive. I peeked in again yesterday and two of the chicks are obviously dead. One was still alive but barely moving and itÃ¢ÂÂs head was down. This morning all three looked dead. I was very sad but then a few minutes later the mom or dad returned again with food. I watched them fly into the nest with worms and fly away again. Is there any chance the Robins could be flying to another nest in the bush that I havenÃ¢ÂÂt noticed? I donÃ¢ÂÂt hear any chirping at all. Does anyone know if the parent bird would keep returning if the chicks were dead or how long before they would give up? ItÃ¢ÂÂs makes me very sad to watch them keep returning to their dead chicks...
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I love the drama too deanie! Isn't it so much fun to watch? It's the very best time of the year. I tell my boys that there is a very entertaining soap opera going on out there in the yard. You just have to know what to watch for! My Mocker pair is doing their mating dance out in the yard. Their nest is almost done, and they have both worked so hard on it. The Mourning Dove males are chasing the poor females relentlessly. They are some randy birds. The male Robins are staunchly planting feet and defending their territory. The Chickadee pairs are flitting about the trees together, and they are the first birds I hear each morning when I go out. I have 8 Giant Arborvitae (really huge) in my back yard, and the Robins, Doves, and Cardinals adore nesting in them. Problem with that is that those things really move in the wind, and nests that are not built well or not in a good spot will come tumbling out. I have to make regular rounds around those trees to check for fallen nests and baby birds. I have often found nests and babies, and have had some success with good outcomes in spite of the nesting disruptions. Gotta love nesting season!!!
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lcmoore99
Original Author
14 years ago
Hi,

Thanks to you both.

I did think about putting something for the squirrels away from the porch. My DH just brought some corn cobs and I'll put them on the other side of the house.

Thanks again, Linda...
lisa11310
14 years ago
The only thing I can think of is to enclose it in chicken wire, I'm sure the finches could get through but not cats or squirrels or even Jays &Crows. I know not very pretty but you of all people could live with for a couple weeks! Wonder if Mom would accept it?
dzyg
14 years ago
We've only had finches nest in hanging pots a couple of times, they have always failed.

Donna

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