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Post by karenupnorth on Oct 5, 2021 9:36:02 GMT
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Post by matt on Oct 5, 2021 13:54:21 GMT
Looks fab Karen! I just logged in for the first time in ages, because I started having similar thoughts! I'm just planning out a couple of new (bigger) starling boxes. Will post something up when I am done..
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Post by karenupnorth on Oct 6, 2021 9:01:06 GMT
Great to hear from you Matt, I look forward to see your new boxes, will you be changing the electrics, putting led lights in for example? Good luck with it all
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Post by Ann70 on Oct 12, 2021 5:15:44 GMT
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Post by karenupnorth on Jan 2, 2022 12:49:32 GMT
Lots of comings and goings in the tree box this week, really great to see them pairing up and getting active! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
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Post by karenupnorth on Jan 2, 2022 12:56:42 GMT
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Post by pete11 on Jan 2, 2022 13:33:05 GMT
Hurrah for poo-cleaning
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Post by matt on Jan 2, 2022 19:56:32 GMT
Lots of comings and goings in the tree box this week, really great to see them pairing up and getting active! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Looking good already Karen! Happy new year to you too, and everyone else here. I really need to get my 2022 thread started soon, but I can report lots of visits (more than prior years??), including a number of double visits to three of the boxes in one day, which was a couple of days back. Two of the boxes had visitors at the same time, so not just one pair doing the rounds!
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Post by karenupnorth on Jan 3, 2022 16:17:44 GMT
Hi Matt, that sounds really promising! Look forward to seeing your thread up, wonder if Tony is still in charge? Really hope this year is going to be awesome for us all
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Post by karenupnorth on Jan 11, 2022 19:17:16 GMT
My Rose box has got a little rooster!
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Post by pete11 on Jan 11, 2022 22:59:42 GMT
Hope it doesn't start demanding expensive new wallpaper ☺️
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Post by karenupnorth on Jan 12, 2022 8:02:38 GMT
if last year is anything to go by it will rip the lot off and use it in the nest!!! I'm not sure who this BT is, so I will be watching periodically through the day and at roosting time to watch what goes on. I know the rooster in the tree box was quite edgy when she came in last night and took a while to settle, which is not like her, usually a quick preen and to sleep but yesterday she kept looking out and looking up at the hole and took over an hour to get to sleep
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Post by karenupnorth on Jan 12, 2022 19:13:06 GMT
I was sat watching at roosting time and it would seem my long term rooster in the tree box which is 99% female has moved the mate into the Rose box probably to keep an eye on him anyway some interesting developments, this is a first for my garden where a pair are roosting in such close proximity.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Jan 14, 2022 16:51:28 GMT
Brilliant Karen, How are the daily visits getting on?
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Post by karenupnorth on Jan 14, 2022 18:27:30 GMT
She comes every day to clean out poo and to keep an eye on things, he is always nearby, He has now moved into the rose box!
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Post by pete11 on Jan 15, 2022 9:20:18 GMT
That sounds exciting - I'm finding it tricky to distinguish male & female BTs... I'm always assuming solo visits are male purely down to someone on youtube saying the male always enters the box first and calls in the female...but I seem to get a mixture of confident straight-in-the-box visits and very tentative just-peeking-in-and-looking-round. Do you reckon these could be a mix of male and female?
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Post by karenupnorth on Jan 15, 2022 10:45:04 GMT
Erm most likely males I think looking for sites to show the females, but Paul would know better. My rooster is a female as she comes daily to clean her poo and I can easily recognise her and her mate tags along with her so I can tell which is which, he has also moved into the other box in the garden, which I have never had before its kinda cute them living close to each other. Im sure as the season goes on you will start to notice certain ones turning up and once they are mated up the double visits will ramp up too.
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Post by karenupnorth on Jan 22, 2022 8:41:45 GMT
Just a quick update from North Yorkshire, we have had some lovely bright blue skies lately which always brings lots of activity from the birds, GTS and BTS all around the garden and in the trees chasing about. My rooster as got a mate who has moved into the Rose box now I have named them Glenn and Judith from my love of The Walking Dead they are joined at the hip at the moment, it is fun to see them come into to roost, Judith is always first and she sits on the branch waiting for Glenn to arrive, its is as though she is tapping her watch when he turns up saying ''what time do you call this''! Once he is inside she will go down and check he is settling down then she goes back to her own box in the tree, so funny! In other news I have a Mistlethrush visit the garden daily to dine on the Honeysuckle berries, such a delight to see it. Hedgehogs are not visiting at the moment, but the food and water is there if they do come out of hibernation, will be great to have them back.
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Post by pete11 on Jan 22, 2022 19:55:29 GMT
Ah the BT antics sound very sweet! And great to have a Mistle Thrush!
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Post by karenupnorth on Feb 20, 2022 9:02:26 GMT
Good morning all hope you are all ok. I haven't much to report really, my pair of BTs who are roosting in the tree box and rose box continue to do so, they are firmly joined at the hip/wing and it would be lovely if they choose a box, I have named them Glen and Judith(WALKING DEAD TV SHOW which I love) Judith has been roosting in the tree box since October comes daily to clean out her poos now, at one point she didnt bother at all and I had to get up a ladder to do it! I hope this is a sign that she is keeping it clean for nesting time I havnt seen any other BTs looking in the boxes as of yet. I have a Robin box nestled in the Ivy which is nice and obscure but no interest from what I have seen so far. We will soon be into March and it will all be kicking off so look forward to seeing everyones news Goodluck everyone for a excellent season
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Post by pete11 on Feb 20, 2022 11:45:57 GMT
Impressed your BT is cleaning up poo. I haven't done anything towards helping with mine - the male BT quite often makes an attempt by picking up the odd piece every so often during a checking visit, but there's still a lot to clear. The GT rooster is still adding more every night, too! I hope it isn't putting the female BT off when she does her inspections.
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Post by karenupnorth on Mar 12, 2022 19:01:51 GMT
Been an exciting 24 hours here in the garden, first my hoggys came back from hibernation, two visited for the first time since October, then I checked my pond and saw my froggy was back in residence, when checking this morning I found a lovely bunch of spawn, first time I have had spawn in my nature garden ever, it is only a small belfast sink sunk into the ground but it seem to do the trick. My BTS carry on daily cleaning, there has been a new male taking a look in the tree box, things are really happening.
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Post by karenupnorth on Mar 18, 2022 18:38:25 GMT
Action beginning to hot up with this mild weather.
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Post by pete11 on Mar 18, 2022 22:07:15 GMT
Looking good Karen!
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Post by karenupnorth on Mar 22, 2022 15:04:58 GMT
Very active day thanks to the warm sunshine, all the boxes getting a viewing or two, also the first nest wriggles in the tree box, which still has a BT rooster as does the rose box.
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