Moorhen Fender Nest

[dmr]

There's a big widebeam moored a bit in front of me. It will be moving on before too long as its on a 48. A moorhen is working hard to build a nest on the back fender button, its already quite a big nest. What should I do? I can do nothing knowing the boat will move, or I can destroy the nest now in the hope that the bird will see sense and move back to the offside where its lived all winter?

............Dave

[BruceinSanity]

It's a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to disturb the nest once it's got eggs in it, so you'd be doing the owner a favour by destroying it before it's finished. Otherwise, he'll have to hang around on that mooring until the chicks have fledged and left the nest.

[Neil2]

Yeah get rid of it the moorhens clearly got no taste.

Moorhens are great aren't they I reckon they could build a nest on a washing line.  

[tree monkey]

55 minutes ago, BruceinSanity said:

It's a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to disturb the nest once it's got eggs in it, so you'd be doing the owner a favour by destroying it before it's finished. Otherwise, he'll have to hang around on that mooring until the chicks have fledged and left the nest.

As I understand it the offence is disturbing an active nest, doesn't need eggs to be present

[Jim Riley]

If you see the "nest" with no moorhen around its not active, is it? 

[ditchcrawler]

I know what I would do

[Up-Side-Down]

This happened last year to one of Scottish Canal's weed cutters. It had been moored next to me for the duration of the winter having broken down the previous autumn and not been fixed. I sent a pic into HQ in Glasgow and the vessel was out of commission for a further 4 months until after the first brood had left the nest!

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, tree monkey said:

As I understand it the offence is disturbing an active nest, doesn't need eggs to be present

Its also an offence to break the speed limit and no one ever does that either.

[MtB]

The widebeam owner may of course have spent many hours tempting the moorhen to start a nest in his fender, knowing CRT will accept this as a cast iron reason not to move until the chicks have fledged...

Edited April 1, 2017 by Mike the Boilerman

[ditchcrawler]

37 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

The widebeam owner may of course have spent many hours tempting the moorhen to start a nest in his fender, knowing CRT will accept this as a cast iron reason not to move until the chicks have fledged...

Vert true a hanging tyre is very inviting to them just touching the water

[matty40s]

44 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Its also an offence to break the speed limit and no one ever does that either.

Except for Nicknorman who admits doing it,  however drones on and on about anyone with a drone who might naughtily fly it near to his glider..

[tree monkey]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

Its also an offence to break the speed limit and no one ever does that either.

I was just correcting a slight issue with the comment. 

 

Anyway try bloody speeding in bog standard nissan micra

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, tree monkey said:

I was just correcting a slight issue with the comment. 

 

Anyway try bloody speeding in bog standard nissan micra

I like nissan micras  My first driving school car was a micra the one shaped like a noddy car. When I put the roof sign on its top speed was reduced by ten miles per hour  but absolutely bullet proof. The more modern ones though with the silly credit card type key can be problematic.

[tree monkey]

12 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I like nissan micras  My first driving school car was a micra the one shaped like a noddy car. When I put the roof sign on its top speed was reduced by ten miles per hour  but absolutely bullet proof. The more modern ones though with the silly credit card type key can be problematic.

Mine is a classic low mileage bug eyed 2 careful granny owners and yes to be fair starts, stops and goes when asked but bleagh