Post by hfriel on Apr 17, 2019 8:30:43 GMT
Hi again everyone
Nice to be able to join you all again, albeit a different location, so sad about Elizabeth. Hope you’re keeping well Malcolm if you happen to be reading these blogs.
Thank you so much Paul and Matt for this website, and maintaining it so well. I haven’t been able to blog because I had a very bad wrist break compounded by a frozen shoulder, still not totally fixed but at least I can type for awhile now.
It’s been a very strange nesting experience this year, started with a female roosting over Xmas, who then went on to develop serious ‘Jelly Belly’ she disappeared ( possibly died) after totally disinfecting the Nestbox we had a male rooster followed by a female rooster who cleaned up after him. Mid February we had great interest from a pair of Bluetits, visiting daily together, then the weather got very warm mid March and WASPS started visiting and staying, female bluetit tried to peck it but it flew at her and she scarpered. Bluetits went away. I think the wasps were starting a hive, so we taped entrance hole only to see Mr Bluetit reappear and go berserk flapping his wings trying to get in. Tape comes off, wasps back. Plan B, we tried rubbing outside of box with wasp killer, no effect. Plan C we got one of those fake wasp nests and put it near nestbox (knowing it would probably scare birds as well) it did the trick, wasps left, still no sign of birds though. I gave up hope of any nest this year. They were still using the feeder and seem to come and go in different directions. My only ray of hope was that every time I’d try to do some gardening near the next box, I would hear a bluetit chirping alarmingly overhead. The male now started making the odd visit and hanging out of the whole for ages, presuming trying to cox her in. She then would visit maybe once every 3 days after he went in first, only in and out.
Then lo and behold on Monday, strong gusty winds, heavy rain, temperatures as low as 4 degrees and noisy Grandsons charging around, she decides to properly visit the box with nesting wriggles etc., followed by nesting material bring brought in around 4 till 6. Yesterday she worked a 12 hour shift and best really taking shape. I know they are late in the season, but from my 8 years of experience, she is a very good nest builderwith great attention to detail and he is so attentive, still comes in ahead of her lots of times and constantly feeding her so
Nice to be able to join you all again, albeit a different location, so sad about Elizabeth. Hope you’re keeping well Malcolm if you happen to be reading these blogs.
Thank you so much Paul and Matt for this website, and maintaining it so well. I haven’t been able to blog because I had a very bad wrist break compounded by a frozen shoulder, still not totally fixed but at least I can type for awhile now.
It’s been a very strange nesting experience this year, started with a female roosting over Xmas, who then went on to develop serious ‘Jelly Belly’ she disappeared ( possibly died) after totally disinfecting the Nestbox we had a male rooster followed by a female rooster who cleaned up after him. Mid February we had great interest from a pair of Bluetits, visiting daily together, then the weather got very warm mid March and WASPS started visiting and staying, female bluetit tried to peck it but it flew at her and she scarpered. Bluetits went away. I think the wasps were starting a hive, so we taped entrance hole only to see Mr Bluetit reappear and go berserk flapping his wings trying to get in. Tape comes off, wasps back. Plan B, we tried rubbing outside of box with wasp killer, no effect. Plan C we got one of those fake wasp nests and put it near nestbox (knowing it would probably scare birds as well) it did the trick, wasps left, still no sign of birds though. I gave up hope of any nest this year. They were still using the feeder and seem to come and go in different directions. My only ray of hope was that every time I’d try to do some gardening near the next box, I would hear a bluetit chirping alarmingly overhead. The male now started making the odd visit and hanging out of the whole for ages, presuming trying to cox her in. She then would visit maybe once every 3 days after he went in first, only in and out.
Then lo and behold on Monday, strong gusty winds, heavy rain, temperatures as low as 4 degrees and noisy Grandsons charging around, she decides to properly visit the box with nesting wriggles etc., followed by nesting material bring brought in around 4 till 6. Yesterday she worked a 12 hour shift and best really taking shape. I know they are late in the season, but from my 8 years of experience, she is a very good nest builderwith great attention to detail and he is so attentive, still comes in ahead of her lots of times and constantly feeding her so