Bluetits nesting

[barquar]

i Have 2 bluetits nesting in a box in my Garden,I also have 2 more nest boxes around the garden. A bluetit which i think is the one already in one of the boxes is marking the other 2 boxes. If i am right is she doing this to stop other bluetits from picking these boxes to nest in.? She marked the boxes but never went inside them.
Barquar

[nigel_b]

What do you mean "marked"?

[rossy]

your bluetits wont be nesting at the moment ,ill guarantee that, and as asked what do you mean marking ? tapping round the entrance ? rossy.

[barquar]

I mean marking around the entrance hole and yes my bluetits are taking nesting material into the one occupied.I have three nesting boxes nuber 1 is occupied nubers 2 and 3 have had the entrace hole pecked to mark it.watched this being done, but there are know sighns of any birds using boxes 2and three.So i think that the bluetit from number 1 box has marked or [pecked around the hole to stop other bluetits from using them.Am I right to think this?
Barquar

[rossy]

depending on what distance you have between the boxes, it is possible for another pair of blue tits taking up residence, but your resident pair will become terrortorial, as for nesting, yes they might be starting to build, but ill make it clear that no way will there be eggs as yet, its to early, they time laying , hatching, when their food source ie caterpillars , grubs, are in abundance, to feed the young, rossy.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by barquar

i Have 2 bluetits nesting in a box in my Garden,I also have 2 more nest boxes around the garden. A bluetit which i think is the one already in one of the boxes is marking the other 2 boxes. If i am right is she doing this to stop other bluetits from picking these boxes to nest in.? She marked the boxes but never went inside them.
Barquar

How far apart are the boxes? (as mentioned by Rossy).

The fact that it is pecking the holes does not indicate that its putting off other blue tits they always tend to do this to boxes maybe to check the solidity of the structure.

Blue tits will be nesting in some parts of the country around now. I have seen birds with moss. Egg laying can occur as early as late March in a warm spring. More often in April and May though.

[witham]

We have blue tits taking nesting material into one of our nest boxes unfortunately not the camera one as think the sprawk got the one that was using it as a b& b or rather 'b'

[RKB]

Originally Posted by rossy

your bluetits wont be nesting at the moment ,ill guarantee that, .

Some started a week ago. I've got half a dozen with half-built nests. But others wont start for another week or two.

[rossy]

yes building i agree ,but not actually down on clutches, though ive been wrong before, read post 5 rkb, rossy.

[darylp]

Hi guys

Ive got three blue tit boxes and one robin box in the garden (the benefit of a big garden). The Robin had been roosting in the robin box, but was scared away by the squirrels, however im hoping to have solved that problem. The blue tit boxes have all been used to roost, one is now in the last 9 days being filled with nesting materials. I'm really looking forward to this years brood as we lost all last year when the nest was deserted, so fingers crossed!! The behaviour described by barquar is also being displayed by my nesting pair. However what really amused me is the persistance of blue tits to attempt access and with some success to my bat boxes.