Help needed from the wildlife folks

[SetzKitten]

I took my potted impatiens plant off the front porch hanger to water it and found a bird had built a nest in it. It has 4 eggs in it!!!! Should I water the plant? Leave it alone and let it die? How long does it take for eggs to hatch? Thanks for any help!

 

[wdwmom2]

I have had the same thing. I just keep on watering, but try not to disturb the nest. I water slowly to let the water sink into the soil so that it really doesn't affect the eggs. If I can catch the birds actually building the nest, I do try to discourage them. But if they have already laid eggs, I do my best to be careful.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, continue to water just as needed to keep the plants alive, with as little disturbance as possible.

The birds want that cover, and they want that plant to stay alive and grow!!!

One word of caution...
I had this happen once, and one evening I set the plant down from the hanger on to the banister to water it. (it was high for me to reach.) Well, I forgot to hang it back up, and left it there, and I am afraid that enabled some critter to get to the baby birds!!! I don't think they we old enough to fly. But the next morning they were gone. I felt so bad!!!

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

Ooo. I had that happen two summers ago. But the eggs hatched. I think I must've looked in there one too many times (dang it, they were cute!!) and the mom amscreed. So I called Raptor Rescue and took them, plant and all, to the rescue lady to nurse them. Moral of that story? Don't look at them.

Off topic, but when I was in college, I left my crank window open one day, and later found a bird's nest in the crook. I couldn't close the window, and then she had babies that would chirp at 5:30 a.m. (not cool after a night out!!). We had a HUGE storm, and the mom left, and the babies (I think) froze to death. So then I had a nest of DEAD birds, and no way to remove them. I called maintenance, but they couldn't come until Monday and I cried every time I looked out the window. Eventually poked a hole in the screen with a wire hanger and knocked the nest down. At least I wasn't responsible for THAT one.