Nestbox still empty...

[Ill Bodie]

Hello Everyone! Could someone please tell me, at what time have birds stopped choosing their nesting sites? We've had Blue Tits occasionally checking out our nestbox - pecking at the hole and such but we haven't seen any there for a week or so. (It's a 'proper' box from the RSPB.) We also have a Robin box at the other end of the garden but no sign of any action in that one yet. Is it too soon to give up hope?

Any info. very much appreciated!

Barry, North Somerset.

[nightshade]

Our idea of where birds will nest and what birds think are usually different!
I assume that the boxes are a recent acquisition,I have eight boxes some
are used as roosts and two are frequently occupied never the same two
they have been there for years

[Madelinew]

I've had second broods appearing in mine quite late in the summer so it's early to worry

[almostnormal]

its also worth noting that blue tits are fussy little buggers and can ignore nest boxes for years and suddenly you'll have them in it every year we've had our bird box up for six years now and its only the last two years that they've begun to use it. don't give up hope though, as madelinew says, they'll be there eventually!

[Madelinew]

A couple of years ago, my OH and I build a nest box each. Mine was chucked together to serve a purpose, his was so seriously over-engineered with bevelled edges , countersunk screws, etc that I told him all he'd missed was the outdoor pool. He had the last laugh. Mine was never used and his was occupied at least twice a year. I often watched a blue tit pop into my nest box and out again very quickly almost as if he was telling the agent "Oh no - she wouldn't like this AT ALL!"

In the end, OH's nest box was exclusively occupied by great tits - I wonder if it was the same pair each time? Do they keep the same mate 2 years in a row?

[almostnormal]

i don't think they keep the same mates, but the females can be quite site loyal. however, its more likely that its a different pair each year. which is no bad thing, means there's lots of great tits down there!

[Madelinew]

Masses of em! They dominate the birdsong at all times of the day at the moment. Expect for the blackbird that sits on a corner of my roof and yells his head off to great effect.

Could have sworn I heard a cuckoo this morning briefly but as the windows were all shut at the time and I haven't heard it again, I'm not so sure....

[Ill Bodie]

Hi Everyone, many thanks for your replies - I won't give up hope just yet then .

Cheers!

Barry.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Madelinew

A couple of years ago, my OH and I build a nest box each. Mine was chucked together to serve a purpose, his was so seriously over-engineered with bevelled edges , countersunk screws, etc that I told him all he'd missed was the outdoor pool. He had the last laugh. Mine was never used and his was occupied at least twice a year. I often watched a blue tit pop into my nest box and out again very quickly almost as if he was telling the agent "Oh no - she wouldn't like this AT ALL!"

In the end, OH's nest box was exclusively occupied by great tits - I wonder if it was the same pair each time? Do they keep the same mate 2 years in a row?

found this in my birds of western palearctic

'Pairs of previous year usually re-formed if both members survive: in 67% of cases'

so the answer is sometimes... however, I think mortality is quite high in these little birds so both members of a pair may not make it through the winter...