Strange nest ...

Norrie1956

Well-Known Member
I'm just in from a wee nights lamping around one of my permissions. Now, I'm on the land every week or so, but not always right round the back of the farm, which extends to about 1 mile from the main building, and at the back of a wooded hill. Tonight, I noticed what i thought was a large nest up in the "canopy" of one of the trees in the wood. Had a closer look, and it's absolutely huge, with a base made of branches maybe 2-3 inches thick, formed into a " triangle" sort of shape. This "nest" is at least 50 feet up the tree, and from what i could see, the top covering branches have been cleared out to let "whatever" land in the nest with no impediments...:) It certainly wasnt there a couple of weeks ago,...and there are no marks up the truck of the tree,....and no "litter" round the base of the tree....

I finished the first walk round, and met up with the farmer, he has no idea at all what it is, or who put it there...anyone have a clue???

BTW, I'm in Central Scotland...:)

1st Pic, a bad close up of the structure..



2nd/3rd pic...the whole tree.




Hoping someone can help with info...:)
 
Anywhere nr a loch or large lake ? Osprey ?

I would agree with this comment. Its similar in construction, location in the tree and size to another 'man-made' osprey nest I'm aware of. Don't know how they can do that though without permission from the landowner who owns the tree!!!!!
 
Looks like a heron's nest to me

Spot on, there is a grey herons nest in the wood where I walk the dogs. . Virtually identical to your photos.
The fledglings are probably already flown as they are relatively early nesters.
 
How can a heron lift branches 3" thick and what look like over 3' long, and then clear away all the overhanging branches to allow a clear access??????

Google Images will show what a herons nest looks like, and it's not anything like this.
 
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How can a heron lift branches 3" thick and what look like over 3' long, and then clear away all the overhanging branches to allow a clear access??????

Google Images will show what a herons nest looks like, and it's not anything like this.

I don't need to rely on Google images to see what a herons nest looks like, I've walked past one virtually daily for the past fifteen years. . . watched the young being fed and eventually fledgling, and the nest looks virtually identical the the photos shown. . . Had it been a month earlier I would have taken a photo of it for comparison.
Unfortunately the tree is now in full leaf and the nest obscured.
 
Hi Guys, there's only one little loch nearby, that i use as a duck pond, no fish to speak of in it, seriously tho, some of those branches are as thick as my arm...and the "clearance" on the top of the trees has to have been done by a person...they all look like clean cuts ....I was thinking Osprey too, as they are about a rainbow trout loch i used to fish once,and aint that far as the "crow flies"....pun intended...:) ....but def didnt think of Heron...
There's nothing eother on the trunk or on the ground to tell who built it....and def nothing nesting in it..:)

Some great info tho, thanks..Particularly about the SNP....:)
 
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