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Post by matt on Apr 28, 2019 10:52:39 GMT
I'm planning exactly the same Karen! I think I am going to build a 3 chamber terrace, and make sure that cameras can easily be mounted if any interest is shown. I'm not expecting instant action after what Paul has said about sparrow boxes, but I am a little optimistic because we do get a lot nesting in and around the house. Plus the idea of 2-3 broods right up until summer is an attractive one, so it has to be worth a shot!
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 28, 2019 11:05:31 GMT
I have never had success with a terrace either To be honest, When I put my sparrow videos on my twitter the main question everyone asks "Is this a terrace box I have had mine 3 4 5 years no success" so I think its a theme with these terrace boxes, hit or miss. If I remember correctly aswell, Malcolm and Elizabeth had one but it was only ever used by blue tits so they made their 3rd box into a blue tit one because of this. I think I remember reading it on their website. Yes just found it on the tech page of the website "The third nest box was installed in January 2007 and replaced a sparrow terrace that we had installed on the side of the house several years earlier. We replaced it because the only bird that had shown any interest in the terrace was a bluetit which took over the middle section in spring 2006 and successfully raised a brood of chicks!" It seems pretty hit or miss the terrace, I had one for hmm 4 years I think (no cameras in) and we didn't even get any interest 1 year we got half built blue tit nests in 2 parts of it. Why don't you install a single 32mm box where the sparrows nest Matt rather than terrace and see how it goes? Atleast that way it leaves it open to any bird really BT, GT, sparrow.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2019 11:16:00 GMT
I concur with Paul. I put up a three compartment terrace 10 years ago, no interest for 3 years then the blue tits then abandoned my camera box for the end terrace!!!! Most annoying at the time.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 29, 2019 12:16:40 GMT
Weird isn't it Benn? Because we are told they prefer terraces and they love nesting together but the terraces aren't actually that successful. The amount of people on twitter this year off my sparrow videos who told me they have had no luck with terraces for many years is ridiculously high.
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Post by matt on Apr 29, 2019 13:43:07 GMT
All very interesting, thank you chaps. I wonder then - just a single, normal sized nesting box with a 32mm hole in a likely area? Any harm in putting a few up or do you think the presence of others close by could actually put them off?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2019 14:02:11 GMT
Dunno about the number of boxes Matt, I'm going to follow Pauls example come August buying the same type of box. I intend to site just one as high as possible on the apex side of the house. Next doors house is about 3 metres away and there are several sparrows nesting in the plastic ridge end caps opposite. I hope it will be high enough to discourage any blue tits but near enough to this sparrow colony which is rather large.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 29, 2019 14:18:39 GMT
I would go for the 1 box Matt, Totally up to you though, Terraces don't seem to be that popular with the sparrows though I know that.
Benn, I can't wait to see if the box is used for you next year, They seem to love my Cj wildlife box. I wonder if its due to it having a little ledge on the inside under the entrance hole? I think its designed to make it harder for predators to reach the nest, That is only the real difference between this box and a normal box really. Don't know hope they like your one as much as they do mine.
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Post by matt on May 10, 2019 18:58:25 GMT
No nest box activity here, but it was interesting today to observe a bluetit foraging quite extensively for what looked like soft nesting materials. She came by my office window 3 times and was gathering feathers and fluff from one of my dog's soft toys. Hard to imagine it can be for anything other than a nest, but seems very late. I wonder what the story is? Unfortunately whatever has happened hasn't led them to choose one of our boxes (although I did get another starling inspection yesterday)!
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Post by Beechnut on May 11, 2019 8:23:10 GMT
Never too late Matt - I had a nest that fledged in July.
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 11, 2019 12:17:45 GMT
Maybe a disturbed nest Matt or a nest failure and she is trying again before the time passes her by? Shame you didn't get a nest this year, I am looking forward to seeing the changes you make for next year though!
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Post by matt on May 11, 2019 17:01:01 GMT
Another interesting thing Paul, which you might have a view on. Just over the last week or so I have noticed sparrows showing a lot of interest in my eaves - they are sort of hovering and looking around, as if perhaps for an entrance they can use as a nest. Never seen this before, but have seen it three or four times in the last few days. The area they are looking at is quite near our house blue tit box. I wonder if they are looking for nesting sites and, if so, whether I should just enlarge the hole in that existing box and see what happens? I've never had a sparrow so much as trigger the entrance alarm on any box and yet they fly around them all the time, so guessing hole size could be the issue. Any thoughts?
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 11, 2019 17:56:48 GMT
Matt, Don't your boxes already have a 32mm hole? That is all you need for sparrows. My box is just a standard 32mm hole they have no problem getting in and out, If you've got 32mm hole boxes you will be fine. Sounds like they found be looking for nesting places though, They do have a few broods a year.
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Post by matt on May 11, 2019 18:43:31 GMT
I thought that one might be 28 Paul, but I've just measured it and it is 32 or pretty close to it. Strange then that they have never even looked inside, even as they inspect the eaves just a few inches above it. Perhaps the box is just too low for them (about 1.8m), or perhaps we just have fat sparrows around here? edit: Actually I'd say its 30mm. Worth widening a bit?
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Post by suep on May 11, 2019 18:55:57 GMT
Matt, could they just be looking for live food - spiders etc? I have sparrows at the moment checking every crevice available including around my box with blue tits in . Just a thought. Would like to think they are hoping to nest but if ignoring a perfectly good box I would feel it’s more likely looking for food for hatchlings in another nest. I would love to be wrong on this one for you, Sue
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 11, 2019 21:34:55 GMT
I don't think it may be a case of ignoring a good box, Sparrows seem to be alot harder to get to nest in boxes due to them staying loyal to the nest and eachother for life. If the sparrow pair as a good nest site already they will keep using it, I didn't know much about sparrows before they started nesting with us back in 2016. I didn't think they stayed loyal to one another for life, When you think of it that is why the sparrow bond is so much better than the BT / GT who get a new pair up yearly. I think getting the sparrows to nest is going to be one you have patience on, I have 10 nest boxes in our garden around 50 plus sparrows and only 1 nest. Like you Matt they don't check out my boxes at all, I imagine this is due to them already having nest places they use every year. If the box hole is only 30mm it will need to be made to 32mm for the sparrow! As Sue pointed out they could simply be looking for insects but who knows really? I am looking forward to seeing all your changes and new boxes and see what happens next year for you, Just shame we have to wait that long isn't it?
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Post by sammi on May 12, 2019 8:14:51 GMT
I'm hoping still that this week will change your nest box fortunes. I know it's unlikely but well .....who knows
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Post by matt on May 12, 2019 13:33:01 GMT
You never know Sammi - I am going to widen the hole a bit and see if that gets any interest going. Amazingly, I just discovered a new sparrow nest in one of our walls along a side alley. This is a hole that was left open (it shouldn't have been) by the plumber two years ago when our gas pipe was rerouted, and somehow I managed the miss the fact that there is a sparrow nesting in there. Today I saw them going in and out, so I guess the nest must be actually within our wall cavity which is probably not great. You can see the hole in the pic above the gas pipe - it is a good 50mm in diameter. In fairness I don't often look up when walking down that alley - I hadn't even noticed the hole before, let alone the nest.. BTW this is the wall where I was thinking of putting a sparrow box.
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 12, 2019 14:20:03 GMT
Maybe cover the hole in over winter Matt and put a box in its place? Could give you a successful nest next year.
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Post by matt on May 12, 2019 14:46:25 GMT
Sounds like a plan Paul, and a ready made hole for my camera wire!
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Post by sammi on May 12, 2019 16:25:40 GMT
Well I am so pleased Matt. I knew you'd get a nest..... .Get that nest box up for next year and like you say such a convenient route for your wires. Gosh these birds know how to tease us don't they?
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Post by suep on May 12, 2019 17:22:12 GMT
Matt, delighted you’ve found a nest even if it isn’t exactly what you would have chosen. So glad you are able to see the positives from this. Hope you will enjoy seeing the offspring emerge. Sue
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Post by elle on May 13, 2019 19:23:38 GMT
Like everyone has said, I’m pleased you at least have a nest, even if you can’t see anything, at least it’s not the actual garden putting them off! Going back to blocking it up and putting a box there, there is still no guarantee Matt, I had a robins nest in a hole (old bathroom vent, like the one in the picture) which was made before we could block it up. So the next year we blocked it up and put an open fronted box exactly over it.............. nothing since I was convinced it would have worked. So I would say, leave it open, as it is, you didn’t know it was like that so leave it!, but just try find a way to get a camera rigged up Elle xx
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Post by matt on May 15, 2019 19:09:54 GMT
Here's an interesting one. Tonight I got a fleeting visit to the house box, but didn't get a high quality video. What happens with my system is that the box is monitored at very low resolution in infrared. When a motion is detected, the camera switches to daylight mode and takes a higher quality video, but it also saves the IR image that caused the trigger event. In this case, the visit to the box was so brief that by the time the camera had started recording the bird had gone. So - here is the super low res image below. I'm not sure it's a bluetit - the beak seems a little big - and the bird's head seems quite small. Any thoughts?
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 15, 2019 19:53:42 GMT
Looks like a tatty looking blue tit to me Matt, Maybe feeding chicks at the moment?
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Post by matt on May 15, 2019 20:21:08 GMT
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