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Post by sammi on Feb 20, 2019 22:40:11 GMT
Hi Matt I agree the second bird certainly looks like a female checking out the box. Fingers crossed
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Post by matt on Feb 21, 2019 9:22:46 GMT
Beautiful sun here and more visits this morning. This time the "house" box, which is the last box that hadn't had a "double" visit. Looks like the male managed to entice the female inside this one as well, so now that is all three boxes that have been "shown around" to a prospective tenant! The big question of course is whether this is the same pair in all three boxes or not, and I really can't answer that. Pic not so great - this camera needs refocusing so I will have to get the camera out and sort it out one of these nights. Female swapped with male in the box shortly after this still:
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Post by suep on Feb 21, 2019 9:51:09 GMT
That is really good news for you Matt, fantastic. Can’t see anything wrong with picture Matt, i’d Be delighted to get that sort of shot inside my box . Sue
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Post by karenupnorth on Feb 21, 2019 11:50:04 GMT
Great news Matt. I wonder the same if the ones looking are the same ones all along. Any how you look all set for a nest
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Post by matt on Feb 21, 2019 13:17:14 GMT
Great news Matt. I wonder the same if the ones looking are the same ones all along. Any how you look all set for a nest Yeah I do wonder Karen! At least if it is only one pair, there is a good chance they'll go for on of the three. If it's more than one pair, then who knows?
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Post by WildlifePaul on Feb 21, 2019 18:32:57 GMT
Brilliant matt!
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Post by matt on Feb 24, 2019 16:59:00 GMT
It looks like one box in particular is getting the most interest now - visits for the last three days, whilst the other two haven't had a visit for four days. This is the same box as last year, but in a different location with a new camera, but with less of a view (no entrance hole) than the other two cameras. Typical! Here's a short montage of 5 visits today. Male first, female later and the female is definitely showing a bit more interest now. I wouldn't quite say full "nest wriggles" but a couple of little wing flaps at least!
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Post by sammi on Feb 24, 2019 17:06:28 GMT
Great Matt.....I'd call that a good wriggle
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Post by matt on Feb 24, 2019 17:13:57 GMT
Certainly the first time she's done any sort of wriggle Sammi, so I'll take it! Not perhaps a full wing stretch and flutter but I think the intention might have been there Still keep reminding myself that we hadn't had a single visit by this date last year.. (27th Feb was our first, although box didn't go up until the second week of Jan). I just hope these poor birds don't jump the gun and get hammered by a late winter blast. Hawthorn is leafing already here and some blossoms are out on the trees as well.. (not sure which - cherry maybe).
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Post by WildlifePaul on Feb 24, 2019 17:58:00 GMT
Nice video Matt, I wouldn't worry about it being early, It was only so late last year before of the cold. Seasons always start in march for most us, That is only days away. Normally when a bird is an early starter they will bring material in slow and not get really going until they need too. In 2017 I had blue tit start building 10th March and was really slow building didn't pick up until end of march, Then I had one start 20th March who had her nest complete within days. In my experience if a bird starts early she will take a while to build that nest fully, Where as the late starts really crack down and get it done within days. This time of year isn't that "early" for the activity most of us are seeing, Its pretty normal when your having a mild winter. Last year was just a different season due to the incredible cold February and March we had!
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Post by matt on Feb 24, 2019 18:57:44 GMT
Good to know Paul - I'll stop worrying then Would you classify those couple of wing flaps as a "wriggle"?
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Post by suep on Feb 24, 2019 19:24:03 GMT
I’d call it a wriggle Matt - i’d Be glad to call anything like that a wriggle if it was in my box Sue
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Post by WildlifePaul on Feb 24, 2019 19:32:04 GMT
Yes Matt, I'd call that a wriggle for sure. Most wriggles this early on are "half hearted" normally you get the big ones full wings etc when material as been brought in or its about to. So I would class that as wriggles.
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Post by matt on Feb 24, 2019 19:46:20 GMT
Thanks Paul. In our first year last year, we got one big wriggle - wings flat etc - and then literally 20 minutes later she was bringing in nesting material! This was in April.
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Post by matt on Feb 26, 2019 14:26:47 GMT
Visits have slowed again, although I am still getting look-in-through-the-holes. This pattern seems to match last year, albeit much earlier this year. So maybe the decision has been made, and they are off to get into condition before nesting? It's a bit annoying as I have just upgraded two of my boxes with microphones so I really want to test them out! Did get a quick in and out to one of the boxes today, but no singing inside or hole tapping. Mic did record the faint sound of footsteps and the wriggle through the hole on the way out though so it works!
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Post by karenupnorth on Feb 26, 2019 14:32:58 GMT
I am sure they will return Matt, they keep us guessing. My mic is definitely ok was shocked to hear loud buzzing in bedroom, a bumblebee entered the tree box!
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Post by matt on Feb 26, 2019 14:41:52 GMT
Ha! I've had a few big flies in mine that set the motion trigger off, but that was before the mics were hooked up. Yeah, even the RSPB site says that they check things out then "go missing" for a few weeks to fatten up. Exactly the same happened last year, except early visits were feb and they went missing in March before coming back in April. So - famous last words - I am somewhat confident that they like at least one of the boxes now.
Slightly different topic, but last year I had quite a few visits from great tits looking through the hole. Not a sign of them this year, I wonder why?
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Post by WildlifePaul on Feb 26, 2019 16:30:37 GMT
Maybe you just don't have a good great tit population locally Matt, To be honest the great tit population in my little area is shockingly bad. I only see 2 on the feeders regularly where we get around 6 blue tits daily.
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Post by matt on Feb 26, 2019 16:43:34 GMT
Yeah, probably right Paul but I did at least have a few checking the boxes out last year (hole was too small at that point, but it is bigger now). I have seen precisely one GT this year on the feeder in total so we are not exactly overrun with them! Be nice to mix it up a bit though..
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Post by YorksherLass on Feb 26, 2019 17:06:48 GMT
Still no interest in my box even though I was gardening all day - shame, but I'm still hoping as it will be the first year since 2008 if we don't get any
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Post by karenupnorth on Feb 26, 2019 23:24:20 GMT
I dont get Great tits regularly visit but twice a pair have tried to get in the tree box, but the hole is too small. Makes me wonder whether to put one up suitable next year for them in the tree and take the BT one down as they have 2 others to select from Will see what happens this season.
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Post by matt on Feb 27, 2019 10:21:26 GMT
Visits to two of the boxes this morning, one of which looked like it might be a new female (hard to say, just a "hunch" that she wasn't the same bird as before). Got a nice pic of a male chatting to a female just outside the box: closeup:
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Post by karenupnorth on Feb 27, 2019 11:23:44 GMT
It is so hard figuring out who is with who, its like a soap opera . Great that you are getting visits Matt.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Feb 27, 2019 12:01:00 GMT
Nice pictures Matt, Glad the interest is still going for all boxes.
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Post by matt on Feb 27, 2019 18:22:19 GMT
A few more close up stills from today's visits. Loving the colour, and the detail - such an improvement on last year's camera!
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