Whats this bird doing

winder · #1 (**permalink**) 21-04-2009, 05:34 PM

Hi, we have a box that has been used every year by blue tits. This year, they decided to go elsewhere and we thought that that was that. However, over the past two weeks a black headed tit has been carrying in bit and pieces especially the fluff from our spin drier. Is it not too late to be feathering a nest? We live in NE Scotland.

Jenny W · #2 (**permalink**) 21-04-2009, 05:42 PM

Hi,

Welcome to WAB!

No it's not too late at all for Tits to be starting building now. Although many have started and are indeed incubating by now, there is still time to start nesting (not much time, but still a bit!). In our nest box scheme we still have nests that are in the early stages of building.

This year is proving interesting so far as it seems to be turning into a very drawn out season. Some years all the nest are synchronised very closely, but this year it's not the case.

winder · #3 (**permalink**) 21-04-2009, 09:59 PM

Thanks for your reply. Can I just ask you when do Blue Tits start their egg-laying season?

ron1863 · #4 (**permalink**) 21-04-2009, 11:34 PM

Hi Winder and a warm welcome to WAB. The Tits up your way in the N.E. od Scotland will nest a little bit later than those further south. I am in central Scotland and they birds, not just the Tit family are just building nests at the moment. There is a large Rookery a few hundred yards from my house and I have been watching the carrying nesting material over the past few days.

Fieldfare95 · #5 (**permalink**) 22-04-2009, 03:07 PM

Welcome to WAB

I don't think it's too late, there are blue tits still plucking the cotton out of my trampoline cover!

pressld2 · #6 (**permalink**) 22-04-2009, 03:14 PM

Hi and welcome to WAB. As others have said it's definitely not too late, especially where you live. Tits will often go for a second brood so it's possible to see them nest building in May or even June too.

Dave P.

Jenny W · #7 (**permalink**) 22-04-2009, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pressld2

Tits will often go for a second brood so it's possible to see them nest building in May or even June too.

Dave P.

Hi,

Tits very rarely go for a second brood and when they do it's often only as a replacement for a clutch that has failed (been predated) early on. The species that second broods most often is the Coal Tit, but even they don't do it that often.

They quite literally 'put all their eggs in one basket'. They have very large clutches and time the laying and hatching of these with the peak emergence of caterpillars (primarily on Oak trees) as this is the chicks staple diet.

pressld2 · #8 (**permalink**) 22-04-2009, 09:43 PM

I stand corrected Jenny!

I was going from my own, very limited, experience where I've had them nest building in March and then again in May for the last two years. But you are quite correct that both times it was because of a failed brood first time round.

Dave P.

winder · #9 (**permalink**) 22-04-2009, 10:57 PM

Thanks for the replies, I can see that I am going to enjoy this forum. Bird or birds, still busy carrying materials into the box so I'm very hopeful!

Elizabeth B · #10 (**permalink**) 23-04-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winder

Thanks for your reply. Can I just ask you when do Blue Tits start their egg-laying season?

If you go to the Overview page of our website, you'll see the dates of significant events in our boxes since 2001.

This year the female in one of our boxes laid her first egg on Easter Saturday (April 11th) and she's now incubating 12 eggs. The female in the other box laid the first egg on April 22nd - we hope she has three eggs by now, but she's hiding them from us so far.