We were clearing the last of the fallen apples last week when we came across a funny vignette:
I am not exactly sure which bird built this nest (it looks quite large and similar to examples of blackbird nests I’ve seen) but, in one of those quirks of nature, it is now occupied by a couple of very ripe Golden Delicious apples. It looks quite ‘Twelve days of Christmas’-like to me.
The reason they have fallen so neatly into the nest is because the apple in question has been trained as an espalier and the branches have been trained to be directly beneath each other. There are two layered branches above this one and the tree was loaded with apples this year.
The nest itself is a thing of beauty and it is interesting to see which plant materials have been used in its construction. Here, there are obvious bits of grasses, moss and maybe a bit of twine.
The odd thing about it is that I didn’t see the nest or nesting birds while it was in proper use and with the tree’s revealing formal structure I am surprised by that.
As winter approaches, without the protection of leaves, many of the nesting sites of our garden birds can be clearly seen. Sometimes at the very tops of trees and other times a lot closer to home.
Sometimes of those nests have been right under my nose without me guessing. Now that the nests are unoccupied it’s a challenge to figure out the former occupants and with a little research and my old Countryside Detective book I hope to tell a lot more.
Frogend dweller's Blog 
What an unusual and artistic find. It seems Nature has a sense of humor!
You’ve just got to keep your eyes open really. 🙂
What a wonderful image. They !look like the big golden eggs of a mythical bird. It’ s funny how we see nests for the first time that were right under our noses once the leaves fall.
They do look like an illustration from a fairytale. I have to admit that the ground was covered in apples too before we cleared it, so the odds weren’t so against them ending up in the nest.
That is a great image–you could print those off as cards. I’ve also found nests built in odd places and wonder at the birds’ choices.
Yes, sometimes they are in such strange surrounds. Today I saw a nest with a telephone cable embedded in it, so I guess those birds kept up with all the gossip!