Long tailed tit repairing nest

[FUDGEY]

I have been keeping a close eye on a LT Tit nest I found a couple of week ago. Earlier today I went for a look and my heart sunk when I looked up at it and When I looked through the nest hole I could see another hole the size of a 10p in the roof. My first thought was that a Crow had predated the week old chicks. Anyhow a few minutes later the adults returned and fed the young so all was well. I couldn't work out what had made the hole and knew it hadn't just happened with out something doing it. I returned a few hours later and the hole had been patched up. I sat for an hour and observed proceedings and found out what had done it. There must be a few young in the nest and one started pushing up where the hole was before. They also made another hole a couple of centimetres above the nest hole. I then seen one of the adults coming back with nest material and expertly weaving it back together. It was constantly having to repair it, 1 in 5 of it's visit was to bring moss and spiders webs to repair. I have never seen this behaviour before and was wondering if this is a common occurence with this species? I sat back in admiration thinking how on earth can a bird with a microscopic beak like this make such a beautiful nest. It really is amazing how they do it.

[Jim Ford]

I went back to a Long Tailed Tit's nest a month or so after the young had left, and there was very little of the nest left. They seem to be very fragile and short lasting.

Jim