Birds find cosy spot to nest under van bonnet
A WOMAN has been forced to put her holiday plans on hold after finding a bird’s nest complete with five eggs in the engine of her camper van.
Olivia Dunn, 41, was left shocked after a mechanic came to fix her vehicle and found the nest tucked away inside.
The mum-of-one from Horrabridge, Devon, said she had left the van parked for weeks while waiting for some parts to be replaced, during which time a pied wagtail took up residence inside it.
She said: “I was so shocked – the mechanic called and told me ‘the good news is, I can fix the van, but the bad news is, you’re not going to be using it for a while’.
“The birds obviously saw the van wasn’t going anywhere and moved in, so my van will be staying there for a while longer now.
“It’s a nice little reminder of how awesome nature is – I wasn’t driving the van so they claimed it.
“I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye to see who comes in and out of the van – hopefully we’ll be there to see when the babies fly the nest.”
The van has been parked outside her partner Michael Mathieson’s pub, The White Thorn Inn in Shaugh Prior. Communications consultant and copywriter Olivia said when she checked under the bonnet last Friday she noticed the nest had been lined with goat’s hair – likely to have been shed by two resident goats living in a barn downstairs beneath the pub. She said they found it “lovely” how the birds had made a layer of goat’s hair to make it “cosy for the babies” and that Michael’s goats, named Gin and Tonic, had been able to contribute.
Olivia said she sought advice from a friend at Devon Wildlife Trust, who told her she needs to leave the nest and the eggs alone to hatch to avoid scaring off the parents.
While she would ordinarily have used the van for weekend trips away when restrictions eased, she says she will wait until the chicks have fledged before using it again.
She said: “I feel quite lucky they chose my van and thought it would be cosy enough to hatch their babies there. I would never have known they were there if it weren’t for the mechanic opening the bonnet – so I’m really glad he did.”