A blackbird has successfully hatched off a clutch of eggs while travelling around in her nest in the wheel arch of a tractor.

Don Driver, of Sandfield Lane, Sedgeberrow, was amazed when he found the nest, the edge of which was no more than half an inch from the tractor tyre.

"My son, Steve, and I had been using the tractor for some days when I became aware of the activities of a pair of blackbirds around the machine when it was parked outside the house," Mr Driver said.

"I searched the tractor for some time before I found the nest under the mudguard. Because I had a tank full of spray on the back I had to use the tractor to complete the spraying. The bird was on the nest when I drove off, she was still there when I started and finished the field, and still there when I got back to the buildings."

Mr Driver removed the sprayer and parked the tractor until such time as the young blackbirds have flown the nest.

"I think it is remarkable that the hen stayed on the nest so close to the tyre while the tractor was in use for so long, and that the cock bird stayed around even thought the tractor and nest weren't there," he said.