Spotted Flycatchers

[tigger]

I've just read a post from back in March 2006 about Spotted Flycatchers, and whether anyone had ever got one to nest in a box.

Yes, is the answer!

We have had them in our garden for at least the last 40 years (accordingly to the 90 year old previous owner). They arrive in May every year and disappear after the young have fledged.

The box is high up under our roof overhang.

I took some film of the young just before they fledged. 5 in total. A brilliant sight! All screaming for food. The parents do a brilliant job.



Jane

[aeshna5]

You are lucky to have these birds Jane. I can remember them being fairly common birds, but they have undergone a dramatic decline + I now rarely see more than a couple or so each year now!

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

It was my post originally certainly give me hope for the future, btw which was is the box facing??

[tigger]

Hi Lincs Yellowbelly! It's facing south, but they have also nested on our outside ladders (which are fixed to our back house wall) which is facing north. The box is about 20ft up. (you can see film of it and the chicks on my wildlife diary) They are overlooking their hunting ground from the nestbox and have a telegraph wire to perch on about 4ft away - before they return to the box. Also a birdbath below it (which they use all the time for bathing and drinking). It isn't very quiet. They have the postman walking past them every morning... I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they return this year (as they had a bad year with the rain in 2007).