Last year we noticed a bird building a nest in our front porch light. My 15-year-old son wrapped some packing tape around the bottom to block the bird before it could lay eggs. Unfortunately, he was too late. We later noticed bird’s feathers stuck to the tape, and realized there had been eggs in the nest and the mother hadn’t been able to return.
Talk about a lousy learning experience. We felt like murderers.
This week we’ve noticed a nest being built there again. I was naïve enough to think it was too late in the season for birds to be laying eggs. Wrong. We’ve got a new family setting up housekeeping on our front porch.
There are at least four eggs.
We’re trying to be careful and not turn on the front porch light. Every time the kids walk out the front door, they say the mama bird flies out of the nest.
For now, we may go in and out through the garage most of the time, and just observe through the window.
Has this ever happened to you?
Oh yes! We have a bird’s nest with little eggs in the wreath on my front door right now. It’s the 4th time a bird (the same bird?) has laid eggs in the nest in the past year. We try not to use the front door because it scares the mama and she flies off. It really scares the neighbors or strangers who come to the door not knowing it’s there! It was really amazing at first – now that this is the 4th time, I’d kind of like to have my porch back. 🙂 After these babies leave the nest, I’m going to try to remove the nest from the wreath or just replace the wreath.
Yes! We have a Christmas wreath on my front door that I will not take down. My neighbors must think I’m insane. But a feathered family took residence in it in Feb and so it stays.
We could hear the babies chirping right on the other side of the front door, and I banished all my family members to come in and out through the garage. 🙂
I’m so afraid something will fly in my house if we use the front door!
Rach, I understand your desire to get your porch back. I’m feeling a little trapped already.
Darcy, are they just not leaving? I thought maybe this wouldn’t last very long. I didn’t think ahead to the chirping babies or something flying in the house. Goodness.
Speaking of babies, I got a small case of Similac in the mail today. My youngest turned five last week. I’m still trying to figure that one out… 😉
Me too, same light and birdies too…………..sweet little babies.
We had an old bag of dog food on the back patio, the top rolled over to close it. After using all the dog food in the garage, I went to the patio to use what little was left in the forgotten bag. As I went to open it, a bird flew out at me. It had apparently built a nest right inside the tubed part of the rolled over flap! (I have no idea if that description of the rolled over part makes sense to anyone else but me…).
And then there was the time that we smelled smoke in the garage, a faint smell of smoldering. We searched in the attic, we checked all the outlets… It turns out that a bird had somehow squeezed itself into the garage door light and built a nest. The nest was ON FIRE. I hope there weren’t any eggs in there! And now this year? A new nest in the same spot. We removed it before any eggs were laid (whew!).
In the dog food bag? Good grief! That bird and I are scaring each other to death every time I walk out the front door. I keep forgetting not to. At least I’m remembering not to turn on the front porch light.
We always get hummingbirds in our garage, and then they can’t figure out how to leave. I think they’re attracted to the big red toolbox.
When you see a bird beginning to nest in your porch, that is the time to close off access to the nesting site. Put something big in there, tape it off, whatever. There are plenty of places for birds to nest without damaging your home. Get rid of them. They will nest elsewhere.
I recently noticed what looked like a massacre on my front porch where a bird was attempting to build a nest. Bird droppings on the house, door and grass, mulch behind my front porch light. We kept cleaning it up and the bird would come back again and start all over. We put a bush and dustpan to try and block it but it didn’t work. The bird would sit in a nearby tree and chirp at me almost like it was yelling at me Finally I started to spray the light and area around it with Clorox cleaner. The bird apparently has found a more hospitable host for its family.