It is not the most orthodox of places for a bird to build its nest.
But this little robin clearly fancies itself as a bit of a speedster and has decided to set up camp inside a crash helmet on a small quad bike in a shed at a Caithness farm.
The friendly bird has been incubating a clutch of eggs inside the workshop at Thura Farm, Bower, since the end of last month. And yesterday farmer Isobelle Mackay said some of them have started to hatch during the past 24 hours.
It means her grandsons, 12-year-old Duncan and nine-year-old Grant, will have to wait another month or so until the chicks fledge before they can get back on their favourite toy.
Mrs Mackay, who said there is also a strict “no dogs” policy in force at the shed since the robin took up residence there, said: “The grandsons won’t be allowed on the bike until the little ones fly away. We have looked after it for so long now. But they both think it’s fantastic. We all think it’s so cute, it’s just so different. Anyone that has been here and seen it thinks it’s so unique.
Mrs Mackay, who lives on the farm with her husband, John Mackay, said that their son, Ronald, who lives in another house on the farm, discovered the nest after returning to the shed from sewing barley in the fields.
The shed is used daily but the robin has been ignoring all of the activity and noise going on around it.
The family also suspects it may be the same bird that last winter built its nest in a box containing grease gun cartridges, in the same building.
Mrs Mackay added: “My husband has dog kennels and last year this little robin used to come in and get a bit of dog food every night, so it could be the same one. It would come in during the back end of last winter and came right into the dog kennel and have some food off a fork. Robins are quite bold little birds, they are certainly very friendly.”
