As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

That's one thrush not in a rush! Bird chooses unusual spot to build home... by a red light

Motorists were surprised to see the bird perched on eggs in between the red and amber signals in Leicester city centre
Photographer Jason Senior captured the images of the bird in its home


RSPB has said mild weather in recent weeks may have prompted bird to nest early, but cold snap will have given it a shock

Motorists were surprised to see the bird perched on eggs in between the red and amber signals in Leicester city centre

This bird obviously thinks it has been given the green light to start nesting in January, after it chose a city centre traffic light to build its home.

Baffled motorists in Leicester were surprised to see the bird perched on eggs in between the red and amber signals.

Even more aptly it appeared this early bird had used some Christmas wrapping ribbon to help it make its nest.

Photographer Jason Senior, 40, from Leicester, said the bird had chosen a set of traffic lights in Leicester city centre.

He said: 'There were a lot of people standing around looking at this bird, I suppose it thought it had the green light to start nesting so early.

'If you look closely you can see ribbon from what might be Christmas wrapping in with the twigs in the nest

'I was there for about half an hour and the bird seemed pretty happy and oblivious to all the commotion around it.'

Gemma Hogg, from the RSPB, said the bird was likely to be either a mistle or song thrush.
She said: 'Birds make their nests in all sorts of unusual places, and this isn't the first traffic light nest we've seen - in the past we've had birds nesting in, bins, hanging baskets and even an ash tray outside a pub.

'It may seem odd to us, but it's actually quite common. They see a safe, secure and cosy spot to lay eggs and raise chicks and don't care what it looks like or what the neighbours might think.

'This nest might not seem like an obvious choice, but perhaps the warmth from the lights makes it a sensible one.

'It's hard to tell if this bird is a song or mistle thrush without seeing its chest. Both are early breeders and have two to three broods a year.

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