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Post by sammi on Apr 6, 2019 11:25:59 GMT
They are leading you a merry dance Karen. Hope they make their mind up and choose your box Karen. They really don't have a clue how much stress they cause us.
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Post by YorksherLass on Apr 6, 2019 13:19:05 GMT
Karen - I may as well write the same message to you which I've just written to Amanda.
Yes for you definitely Karen. The sooner the weather warms up a lot more the better, then all these birds will finally decide who they're going to live with & in which box!
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Post by elle on Apr 6, 2019 14:38:36 GMT
Oh Karen I do hope they decide to nest, that would be fantastic. Good signs with the cleaning of poo & wiggling Elle xx
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Post by matt on Apr 6, 2019 15:20:02 GMT
Everything crossed Karen, this sounds really promising!
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Post by karenupnorth on Apr 7, 2019 10:40:41 GMT
What a crazy morning. I need a drink , after the exploits of yesterdays nest wriggles and many visits and housecleaning by Speck, I was getting hopeful again, then get up this morning and sit and watch for an hour or so and no visits to my boxes, only to the feeders, but they were dropping down to next doors box, so that sinking feeling comes back. Then a few minutes ago I just saw her take a mouthful of moss to the tree box after depositing it and giving it a swoosh around she dives back down to get more moss form the garden and takes this mouthful somewhere else Any body know what she is doing? First timer perhaps?
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Post by elle on Apr 7, 2019 11:08:24 GMT
Omg Karen I think you maybe right, a first timer, or she just may be keeping her options open, probs doesn’t feel 100% safe in the box which has been picked for her.! do keep the updates coming and fingers are still crossed Elle xx
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 7, 2019 11:20:43 GMT
They really are putting you through every emotion aren't they Karen? Did she take the moss to the neighbours box or somewhere completely different? I am with Elle on this, Maybe she is keeping her options open. Do you remember "Loopy" from last year in my boxes? She brought material into FOUR of my boxes before settling down and choosing one. That is why I called her loopy because she bloody drove me loopy for a good week
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Post by elle on Apr 7, 2019 11:28:54 GMT
I remember this Paul, she really did give you the runaround, this is why i always say this birdwatching is a rollercoaster, lots of ups and downs Elle xx
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Post by karenupnorth on Apr 7, 2019 11:35:01 GMT
Boulder continues to roost in the tree box, you would think he would go somewhere else once nest building starts
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 7, 2019 11:49:51 GMT
If the tree box is close to where she is building he won't Karen, Our male is roosting on handykam box on the house wall that as a clear flight path to the tree box which is at end of the garden around 35 foot away i'd say. Everynight he goes and checks on Tatty then you see him fly into his own box. If she is nesting close to your garden it makes sense! What you should do at dusk is watch out the window and see where he comes from to roost, This will be where the female is.
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Post by karenupnorth on Apr 7, 2019 11:56:51 GMT
Yes I have been doing that but he appears so quick it hard to see, I need someone to watch front area I think to see if it from that direction. Its just so draining, I was actually getting excited again after accepting she wasnt, then they snatch your hope away again.
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Post by karenupnorth on Apr 7, 2019 13:28:32 GMT
Well Speck has been back for moss twice now and has taken it towards the front somewhere, havnt seen exactly where but its a good several gardens away. Its not the end of the world and mayby Boulder will entice the other female yet, but I feel pretty meh so many highs then lows in such a short space of time.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 7, 2019 13:44:42 GMT
So after all that she didn't even pick your neighbours box? She must of been looking around a few places, Could even be a hole in someones wall or anything. Sorry to hear though Karen, Bet you was really happy after yesterday and moss today aswell. I hope for you that he gets a new female in the box
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Post by karenupnorth on Apr 7, 2019 13:55:46 GMT
Yes I know, how ironic isnt it, I am at work till Wed so cant look out for him coming to roost till then. After yesterday I was hopeful,then I saw the moss today going in and I was like YAY, but now I am just flat I guess we have all been there. Anyway Boulder is a good lad I know he will do his best to bring another female.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 7, 2019 14:04:56 GMT
By a "good lad" do you mean he makes himself available to more than 1 woman!
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Post by Ann70 on Apr 7, 2019 17:25:09 GMT
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Post by karenupnorth on Apr 7, 2019 21:31:23 GMT
Just got back in and Boulder is in bed, it looks like there is more material in there but I could just be wishful thinking. Quick edit; no new material in tree box, for some reason under the night vision it looked as though there was? . Hubby just told me that he saw her put some moss in my summer house box the other day, so I checked this morning and there is a mouthful in there. Will have a watch today but I reckon she has finally made her mind up. I will still get waxworms in for them as they come to feed each day. This season has made me an emotional wreck and I thought last year was bad, looking back now it was a breeze
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Post by sammi on Apr 8, 2019 8:02:11 GMT
I do wonder Karen why we put ourselves through this every year Don't give up all hope...never say never
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Post by matt on Apr 8, 2019 8:09:58 GMT
This season has made me an emotional wreck and I thought last year was bad, looking back now it was a breeze I'm grateful in some ways Karen that I haven't really had any renewed signs of interest (just very fleeting visits). I got over my disappointment about two weeks ago but I can tell you that it was very real - I was really down in the dumps for a couple of days!! The worst of it is that we have to wait so long for our next shot at it. I'm thinking sparrows might be my best chance next year - we have loads locally (unlike BTs), and they have multiple broods which could keep the interest going for longer as well.
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Post by karenupnorth on Apr 8, 2019 9:14:45 GMT
I know Matt, I too was accepting of not having a nest and was happy Boulder had chosen to roost in the tree box, but after the exploits a few days ago with her cleaning up and ferocious nest wriggles then moss I had got my hopes up, only to be shattered again after she had put some moss in then she dived-straight back down for more I thought here we go she means business at last, then to see her fly off in another direction with it my heart just sank, even more so when she came back for more and did it again. My hope now lies with Boulder bringing another female. I think with each new season you learn something new about these birds.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 8, 2019 10:06:05 GMT
I'm grateful in some ways Karen that I haven't really had any renewed signs of interest (just very fleeting visits). I got over my disappointment about two weeks ago but I can tell you that it was very real - I was really down in the dumps for a couple of days!! The worst of it is that we have to wait so long for our next shot at it. I'm thinking sparrows might be my best chance next year - we have loads locally (unlike BTs), and they have multiple broods which could keep the interest going for longer as well. Matt, I don't want to be a dash your hopes, But the sparrows appear so much harder to get a nest out of in a box. I would say a Blue Tit is probably the most easy. We have 10 nest boxes I think 5 of them are 32mm and 5 28mm in the garden we have around hmm 50 plus sparrows maybe even more, However we have only ever had 1 nest and zero interest in any other box. I was only saying to Cheryl the other day you'd think the boxes be full sparrows the amount we get, With the sparrow it stays extremely loyal to the nest site once it as a nest site it will use it year after year, They stay in the same pair for life unlike the blue tit, This is probably why I have had them nesting in this same box for 4 years now. But out of all the sparrows in the garden I only get that 1 pair every year, I think with them staying loyal to nest site that is what makes it harder unlike the blue tit who doesn't have no loyalty to a nest site or loyalty to the pair its in. Don't want you being disappointed because it is hard, I think over the last 5 years on the old forum I am the only person to have the sparrows nesting in box. Apart from SueP that had 1 nest then they never come back again, After 4 years of having them I would say they are probably one of the hardest birds to get nesting a box even if you have massive numbers of them like myself.
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Post by matt on Apr 8, 2019 10:09:48 GMT
Thanks Paul for dashing my hopes! Good points though - good to know in advance that it is not as easy as it looks. Perhaps I will put up a simple (no camera) row of three on the side of my house and see what happens for a few years? I'll make sure to make the boxes "camera capable" and then I could always add them later if we get interest. The sparrows spend a lot of time in our front garden and nest in gaps along the bottom of our dormer windows in the front, seemingly underneath the roof tiles. At some point we are planning to have the whole roof replaced (God help us), at which time the sparrows may find themselves out of a home but perhaps we could have boxes added in roughly the same location. I think that's a way in the future though.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 8, 2019 10:19:54 GMT
Sorry Matt, I would rather just be honest with you, I wish more people was honest with me when I first tried to get the birds building. It took me 3 years to build up the birds in my area before I got 1 nest, It wasn't easy at all. If you have them nesting in your roof that could help out alot, We didn't have them nesting in ours because the roof was new etc. I don't know if you've seen my sparrow box its from Cj Wildlife as a little "ledge" under the hole I think you might of but incase you haven't i'll pop a picture below. I was thinking about changing it last year but I couldn't do it incase they hated the new box www.birdfood.co.uk/denton-32mm-nest-box.html
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Post by matt on Apr 8, 2019 10:38:44 GMT
Thanks Paul - yeah I was joking, its all good! We got lucky in our first year bluetit box so probably got a bit complacent. I am working the "long game" with garden changes to attract birds and it is definitely working, but slowly. I can't believe how many birds visit the pond now and have also started foraging in the native hedge I put in 18 months ago. A few more years and our garden will have a lot more to offer than it did, and the boxes will be well established. Fingers crossed for next year I'll definitely get a sparrow terrace up though, without camera to start, as it will be interesting to see if it gets any use. Another bird we get a lot of is starlings, but they also seem to be hard to tempt. Must be honest, although I've seen starlings in our garden gathering nest materials I have absolutely no idea where they are nesting locally.
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Post by suep on Apr 8, 2019 12:03:28 GMT
Oh Karen, I feel your pain, up down up down, we must be mad to try year after year. So hope things do work out somehow for you and Boulder turns out to be not such a good lad and does get a new female. A virtual hug for all of us. Sue
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