A few years ago a pair of Magpies built a nest on a mobile phone mast at Audenshaw Reservoirs despite there being plenty of appropriate trees and bushes a few yards away. Many years ago on a treeless plain in NE Greece I saw a Magpies nest on a pylon built entirely of rubber coated wire and bare wire.
This year, there was a Blue Tit's nest in the Screen Wash bottle, that is used to wash the security camera outside of the main entrance to Connah's Quay Nature Reserve, and also another Blue Tit's nest in the top of a metal farmyard gate, on the Gowy Meadows Nature Reserve.
There was a Collared Dove's nest on top of a security camera, near to Saltney in Chester.
There is a Treecreeper's nest, inside of the hide at Hattons Hey Nature Reserve.
All of the above, are from this years nesting season.
From the past, circa 1970.
A Blackbird built her nest behind the radiator of a neighbours car, they went away on holiday, so she built another behind the radiator of the car they left behind !!!
A coot sitting on nest in a floating lifebuay that someone had thrown in the lodge some months ago. Strong wind would blow it around the lodge.....just passin.
on Bickershaw lane the street lights have a small round hole behind the lamp i have seen blue tits going in to these on 5 different lamps, in 2011 a blackbird nested in the cup of the amber light on traffic lights coming out of Leigh asda,
I used to see blue tits nesting in a hole the size of a 2p in a pelican crossing on the A49 in Winwick, outside St Oswalds church - I'd drive to work along there dawdling in the hope of getting a red light so I could watch for a bit.
The best one though was a kestrel's nest in a mill in Bury across the road from our bedroom window. I could sit up in bed and watch them coming and going. (Probably one for the 'best birds seen from in bed' thread!)
-- Edited by Robert Farmer on Tuesday 11th of June 2013 11:12:13 AM
on Bickershaw lane the street lights have a small round hole behind the lamp i have seen blue tits going in to these on 5 different lamps, in 2011 a blackbird nested in the cup of the amber light on traffic lights coming out of Leigh asda,
A couple of interesting nest sites yesterday in Stockport, while I was out on a stag do. A Great Tits nest with 6 eggs inside a cigarette bin on a wall (words were had with the owner of the building in order to stop the fags going in one side of it) also nearby a hole in a street light was being visited by House Sparrows, I'm sure both nests would be fairly warm!
On holiday in Suffolk the other year, a pair of Collared Doves were nesting on a house security light. Every time they flew to the nest after dusk they would switch the light on - but it didn't seem to bother them one bit!
A pair of Collared Dove made a nest on a satellite dish at a neighbours house a couple of weeks ago. Sadly with the bad winds it ended up being blown off. Since noticing this I've been looking at other satellite dishes and found two other instances of birds using them for nests.
When I was a kid I remember finding a Pied Wagtails nest in the glove box of an old Reliant Robin, or whatever those 3 wheeler cars were called back then. It was parked in the grounds of the sewage works in Compstall, by the river Etherow.
Another one to add to the list is a plastic barrel that I adapted for Tawny Owls, which this year was occupied by a Goosander with 10 young. Given that it was at least half a mile from any water course it was really unusual.
Over 40 yrs of birding some of the more unusual nest sites I've seen include -
1 A Great Tit nesting under the platform edge at Broadbottom Station - this was when the Woodhead line was still open , therefore trains were passing inches from the nest every few minutes.
2 A Magpie building a nest about a foot above an old one. Nothing unusual about that except for the fact that a Blackbird also built in the gap between the two nests. Even more unlikely was the fact that the Blackbird managed to fledge at least 3 young despite the fact there was an active Magpie nest a foot away.
3 A Great Tit nesting in an old fashioned water pump - seemingly the pump was still used for garden water and apparently the sitting bird rode up and down with the mechanism without flushing.
4 A few years ago I found a Blue Tit's nest built about 5 - 6 foot high in an hawthorn bush at Audenshaw Reservoirs, despite the fact there was a stone wall less than 50 yards away with umpteen nest sites. I actually saw the bird sitting on eggs. The nest was also successful. On checking literature it seemingly was extremely rare for this to happen and when it did the nests were on average of thirty feet high and usually Gt tits.
5. A Song Thrush built a nest inside a paint can wedged in an elderberry at Broadbottom.
The most bizarre one I ever heard about was a Robin that had built inside a dead cat! I think this was related in David Lack's " The Life of a Robin" (Incidentally a cracking book to get hold of if possible - don't know if it's still in print but if it isn't I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't reprinted again some time in the future.
A couple of years ago on a wander around Chorlton water park, we noticed a blue tit flying in and out of a tiny hole in one of the lifebelt container things positioned around the lake.
Saturday morning (25/6) a pair of Swallows were found to be nesting in the outside ladies toilet at a garden centre at Garforth, near Castleford, Yorks. Looks like young were just starting to fledge, as one was sat on the window ledge near the entrance, waiting for an adult to fly in with food - which it did. Not entirely sure if my excuse of " Yes officer, I know you caught me loitering in the ladies loo but I was only checking out a Swallows nest" would have been believed in a court of law!
Over here in Saudi Arabia I often see common mynahs building nests in street lights. The glass often cracks and the birds enter into the lamp area and build in there. It amazes me that the young don't come out with sunglasses on after being bred in a lit street light. I'd imagine it gets quite hot in there as well.
Can't be 100% certain because in the end I thought it wise to move on after standing around watching for a while before getting some lengthy glares from a few people but I think a pair of Pied Wagtails may have a nest on a barge moored in a marina! The male was on top of the barge and the female appeared to disappear somewhere around the rear of the barge and if she made a re-appearance then I certainly missed it.
With it being in an area that I have not visited before, I'm not quite sure how often the barge is moved or indeed what would happen if it decided to go for a jaunt up the canal?
Out of our area - I can recall in recent times this species also once having a nest in the indoor greenhouse pots and containers section at Parkers Garden Centre, near Mottram St Andrew, Macclesfield. They had built their nest in one of the pots and the staff knew about the nest, so presumably they had left some means of entry and exit for the birds when the place was shut.
The bullet hole which I reported last year that contained a Blue Tits nest is occupied again. I saw a Blue Tit shoot in this evening. Sorry about the pun.
I found a female Mallard today, 10ft up a tree on her nest in a hole. I have read about Mallards occasionally nesting in holes in trees, but it's the first time I've witnessed it myself. It was quite comical to see her sat there.
When I was out on my wanderings last week I came across a rusting, burnt out, long since stolen and forgotten car on an area of scrubland adjacent to a golf course in north Manchester. From brief observations there appeared to be Robins probably nesting in the front old engine bit of the car - although I didn't hang around too long to confirm, after a quick look at some of the unpleasant characters in the immediate area! Mind you, I think Robins of all species are noted for their choice of quirky nesting site.
Also, not an unusual situation as such but one of interest maybe. I have been watching a pair of Moorhens on a very small purpose built pond in a municipal park. The park keepers have put two small artificial raft on the pond and appear to have "meshed off", the rafts, with small mesh, to deter nesting birds. However a pair of Moorhens found a way through the mesh and were sitting on a nest on 10/4. Yesterday (25/5), on a re-visit they were found to have 8 maybe half grown and all similar sized and presumably all from the same brood young. When danger was about all birds - adults and young - retreated to the safety underneath the mesh on the rafts! So not an unusual nesting site as such but great to see this pair turning adversity and a supposed deterrent to their advantage to bring up the largest surviving single brood of young Moorhens that I can recall seeing.
I remember when I was in my early teens, we used to go down to what's now called Seven Acres Country Park in Bolton, to do what teenagers do. In those days it was called the Second Forrest or Secky Forest for those who might remember. At the Bury Road end, on the Wagon Road side of Bradshaw Brook, someone had marked out a football pitch on a piece of flattish land. The markings were just bare soil in the grass. One of the lads we were with pointed out something strange on the centre spot of the pitch. A skylark had built a nest, right on top of the centre spot. I don't think it was a successful breed.
Nothing unusual about that you might say until I tell you that the hole was created by a Kalashnikov AK47 assault rifle.
A couple of years ago someone sprayed the front of the building with gun shot, leaving several holes, police having found spent shells, said it was a Kalashnikov AK47 assault rifle.
My wife and I were passing on Friday evening, and we watched as a pair of Blue Tits flew in and out of a bullet hole, carrying food for young.
The bullet must have created some sort of cavity inside the wall - perfect for a nest.
Can anyone beat that?
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 23rd of May 2010 01:39:30 PM
I know you caught me loitering in the ladies loo but I was only checking out a Swallows nest" would have been believed in a court of law! 
from a few people but I think a pair of Pied Wagtails may have a nest on a barge moored in a marina! 
up the canal? 
to confirm, after a quick look at some of the unpleasant characters in the immediate area! Mind you, I think Robins of all species are noted for their choice of quirky nesting site. 
When danger was about all birds - adults and young - retreated to the safety underneath the mesh on the rafts! So not an unusual nesting site as such but great to see this pair turning adversity and a supposed deterrent to their advantage to bring up the largest surviving single brood of young Moorhens that I can recall seeing. 