The nests of magpie and woodpigeon built in next door’s lofty tree were both plundered early on by the local crows that nested in a roadside plane tree 80 metres away.

Fortunately the young crows have flown but while they were being fed, the adults spent much time perched on nearby rooftops from where they watched and searched for prey.

Extremely intelligent birds as are all members of the crow family, the adults missed little of the local avian activity.

Meanwhile, the wren family in my garden hedge have fledged. When attending their nestlings the male kept up a barrage of loud high-pitched song, being especially vocal in the early hours which served as a melodic early morning wake up call for me!

Now, quite late in the season, robins are sitting on eggs in one of my nest boxes. In complete contrast to the wrens they maintain silence. The male is very attentive and regularly feeds his mate on the nest, after searching the area for possible predators.

Crows may not be a threat now but a jay often spends time in the garden and a nest full of young robins would be a real tasty treat if it detected them. Hopefully that won’t happen.

As the nesting season draws to a close birdsong is fading away. My local blackbird that led the dawn chorus in early spring is singing less and less now and the summer moult is under way.

Postscript: My robin’s nest has sadly been robbed by jay or squirrel probably. Nature is truly red in tooth, beak and claw.