Nestbox camera

[highup]

I tried to put them back in the nestbox, but the windows have been changed since the last I had access to the box - they open different way now, so I could not reach for the top of the box.

I let them fly away, one ended up in the tree canopy and the other in the bush just in front of the house. I don't give them much chance, they will end up on the floor - easy pray for neighbourhood cats.

[Elizabeth B]

I know someone who has had a lot of experience in surveying nest boxes - he says chicks should never be put back in the box.

[Elizabeth B]

Originally Posted by rossy

just had a quick look elizabeth, and it looks like the little fellas are almost ready, great to see , rossy.

Here's a recent photo, there's been lots of wing flapping, but I haven't seen them looking out of the box yet.

[highup]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth B

I know someone who has had a lot of experience in surveying nest boxes - he says chicks should never be put back in the box.

Thanx for this info - I won't try it again, I was well late for work due to these exceptional events .

[highup]

There we go we have now our own blue tit channel on Youtube.
According to some info I read on the internet and the mess left behind in the box, there is currently Mr Tit roosting in the box.

I hope Mrs Tit will join him in a couple of months and we will have the pleasure of watching another blue tit family raised this Spring.

I may setup live stream if everything goes right.

Blue Tit Examines Nesting Box - YouTube

[Elizabeth B]

Originally Posted by highup

According to some info I read on the internet and the mess left behind in the box, there is currently Mr Tit roosting in the box.

This is a conclusion we reached some while ago, having been watching via camera boxes since 2001 - but when I mentioned this to the BTO, they seemed unaware of this!

Of course the female is "programmed" to keep the box clean when there is a nestful of chicks, so it's not surprising that she will keep it clean if she's the "rooster".

Last year we watched a female regularly cleaning up after the roosting male!

[highup]

The current situation:

There is a bird roosting every night in the box. I could distinguish at least two birds visiting box during the day. It happens sometimes very often every hour or so. There was one fight at the entrance hole. Never seen two birds at the same time in the box.

There is quite a bit mess in the box, droppings left everywhere, occasionally seen a bird taking out bits of it.

There are no signs whatsoever of nest materials in the box. March 17 today, wonder if it is going to happen this year at all.

[Elizabeth B]

If you go to the Overview page on our website, you'll see that over the years, in several boxes nest building hadn't started by March 17th - and lots of nests weren't completed until well into April.

[highup]

They must be reading this forum - there are now a few twigs in the box. Time to switch live stream on.

[Elizabeth B]

The female in Box 2 has been coming and going all day, but not bringing in much nesting material - just pushing stuff around. At this stage, she decided she'd had enough!



There's a very small amount of moss in Box1, but nothing to see in Box 3 - not surprising as our neighbour is building a car port a couple of metres away, opposite the box!