Careful! Baby (starlings) on board
IT may seem like a bird-brained idea but a starling has decided to nest in the engine of a Jeep.
Even more startling is the fact that the Gale family’s Dodge Ram Jeep is regularly used, meaning the unhatched young inside are taken on spins around Dublin.
Construction company owner Alan Gale spotted the little bird and her mate building the nest in the front grille of his vehicle when he finished work for a week 12 days ago.
The 46-year-old, whose ten-yearold daughter Charli is keeping a close eye on the unhatched chicks, never uses the Jeep at weekends so the birds happily assembled the nest using material gathered from the Gales’ garden in Lucan.
The father of the house yesterday quipped: ‘One week on, we have three eggs and a bird that loves to go on drives.’
The nest has remained firmly in place with the bird sitting on her eggs while Mr Gale drives to his work and during school runs.
The mother starling occasionally flies out when the Jeep is at home in his driveway. Her mate remains around the garden in Mr Gale’s trees when the Jeep is gone. He said: ‘Apparently he knows the nest will appear back in the evening.’
The birds started building last Friday week. Last Monday the first egg was laid. The second arrived on Tuesday and the third last Wednesday. When the Jeep moves, the nest is warmed by the radiator behind it and it is so well-positioned in the sturdy grille that there is no fear of it breaking up.
Starlings nest in holes and cavities, especially in trees, but often also build in nooks in houses. BirdWatch Ireland officer Niall Hatch said starlings sometimes find nesting space in unused vehicles and in tractor engines but he said: ‘This is very unusual – a starling in her nest in a moving vehicle. It’s interesting how tolerant the female seems to be when moving. When the vehicle is being driven, she doesn’t see human beings so is not frightened.’
Mr Gale is now considering using his motorcycle when going to work and finding another Jeep for loads as the eggs are due to hatch later this week.