Bird's nest in the BBQ- anything we can do about it?

[Ruthla]

We finally set up the outside gas grill so we can start cooking outside. However, a bird has made a nest in there and laid 3 blue eggs in it.

Is there any way to move the nest without putting the baby birds at risk? Or should we just wait until these eggs turn into "teenagers" before using the BBQ this year? And approxiomately when will that be?

[Katie T]

I would leave them to hatch and "grow up" before I grilled. I know nothing about wild birds, but I think if you touch the nest the mama bird will not want to come back to her nest. At least thats what my mom always told me.

[Daffodil]

It's a myth that touching the nest or babies will frighten away the mother. Most birds don't have a strong sense of smell and won't notice your scent. But I imagine actually moving the nest would be likely to make the parents abandon it. It's probably a robin nest. Robins aren't exactly an endangered species, and it's early in the year, so there's plenty of time for them to re-nest if they have to abandon this nest. But if you want to make sure you don't put these eggs at risk, you'll need to wait about a month to use your grill. I just looked it up, and the incubation period for a robin is 12-14 days, then the babies stay in the nest another 9-16 days.

[just_lily]

Whatever you do, watch out for mama bird. My dad once had a robin nest on his front porch and the mama would dive bomb anyone who came near the house. Dad moved the nest a whole bunch of times and she kept re-building in the same spot. I'm not sure who finally gave up first.

[Theia]

I'd just wait for them to be done with the nest.

[BeckyBird]

It sounds like a bluebird nest....if you move the nest, the mother will abandon it. It has nothing to do with the myth of a mother bird "smelling" a human. But the act of relocating will drive the mom away.
If you don't want to wait a month until the babies hatch and leave, you can always just remove the nest. It's possible she is not finished laying eggs (sometimes they lay 4-5 eggs) and if she has not started incubating the eggs yet, then there are not forming babies inside. The babies won't start to grow until all the eggs have been laid, and the mother has started incubating.

An easy way to tell is to check the nest today. If there is a brand new 4th egg that she just laid, then you can be sure she has not yet started to incubate. (because yesterday there were only 3 eggs) You can throw out the nest, and not worry about killing little forming embryos. Of course, if she only has those 3 eggs, and has been incubating them for a week already, then there are embryos inside. It's your call!