benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 13, 2022 15:53:02 GMT
Any news on the swift front Benn? I heard my first of the season today, wish I could encourage them to nest here but there is no active colony nearby Hi Starling78 I sighted a couple of Swifts in a town about 5 miles away last Sunday. The interest shown last year by 3 birds in close fly by's came in July and these were probably yearlings. I am hoping these will return around mid June as two year olds and start prospecting my boxes and perhaps enter them and roost. Then as 3 year olds they return and breed for the first time in May. I am just about to unblock the entrance holes tonight and set up the swift calls to start tomorrow as the weather forecast is good. These young birds only appeared last year in fine weather. Fingers crossed. We had a large colony 25 years ago. Then the factory they nested in burnt down one winter and at that time I wish I had the gumption to put up boxes but I only learnt about the fact they used Swift boxes 5 years ago. Now our nearest colony is 3 miles away. It could be 5 to 10 years of trying the calls to attract them but I will persevere
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 13, 2022 16:00:50 GMT
Thought I would give an update on our two nests....
Our second lady Blue has finally laid some eggs!!! We thought we spotted one through the thick feather covering this morning so I interrogated the DVR from early morning and we found 4 eggs!!! First clip below.
The Great Tits hatched over Monday & Tuesday morning. 8 out of the 9 eggs hatched and they seem to be doing ok. The parents totally ignored the mini mealworms I tried to offer in various ways. However, they seem to be finding plenty of green caterpillars from some larger hawthorns and other trees at the end of the street. So I suppose that is a good thing.... second clip below.
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Benn 2022
May 13, 2022 18:55:46 GMT
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Post by Taz on May 13, 2022 18:55:46 GMT
Great news ๐ฆ๐ฆlook forward to the updates
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Post by suep on May 13, 2022 19:15:37 GMT
Fantastic news on both counts Benn, really pleased. Sue
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Post by Ann70 on May 13, 2022 20:22:47 GMT
Two great nests to have you are so blessed, love seeing the progress ๐
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Benn 2022
May 14, 2022 12:42:31 GMT
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Post by pete11 on May 14, 2022 12:42:31 GMT
Brilliant news. Lovely clips, Benn. Those GT chicks looking v healthy.
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 16, 2022 9:07:46 GMT
Our Great Tit babies are now a week old. This morning is rainy and misty here and the parents seem to be feeding them sunflower hearts as the green caterpillars must be hard to find. Worrying as they won't be getting the fluids they need, but there are still eight chicks. I have placed the mealworm cage on the sunflower feeder pole so the Great Tits must be able to see them! Lady Blue tit number 2 is now incubating and her hubby has no problem finding the mealworms and is regularly taking them to her which I captured in the clip below. A female sparrow is managing to squeeze in too which is ok as the other 2 dozen sparrows have not worked out how to yet so the 1kg I bought might last a week
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Post by Ann70 on May 16, 2022 9:23:27 GMT
Hi benn Babies look really healthy Blue tit nest looks so comfy, mr blue tit doing a great job feeding mum doing her important job Great videos
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Post by sammi on May 16, 2022 9:55:28 GMT
Great videos Benn. I hope the great tits chicks do well. Fingers crossed for some swift news too
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Post by Ann70 on May 16, 2022 10:00:37 GMT
Hi benn Babies look really healthy Blue tit nest looks so comfy, mr blue tit doing a great job feeding mum doing her important job Great videos
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Benn 2022
May 16, 2022 16:01:33 GMT
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Post by pete11 on May 16, 2022 16:01:33 GMT
Lovely clips. The GT chicks seem to be very alert and keen, which must be a good sign.
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 19, 2022 8:25:05 GMT
Our Great Tit chicks continue to thrive. The mother no long broods them and roosts in a separate part of the box now. As far as we can discern there are still 8. They are being fed with a mix of insects, green caterpillars and sunflower hearts, the latter mostly when it is raining. Here is a clip from late evening yesterday:
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Post by Ann70 on May 19, 2022 10:03:11 GMT
Hi Benn Lovely video of all chicks and parents Benn I can count 9 at start of video
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 19, 2022 13:21:58 GMT
Oh wow, well spotted Ann! I knew there were 9 eggs but I am sure there was still one egg two days after they hatched. Lets hope the little one makes it
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Post by Ann70 on May 19, 2022 13:34:08 GMT
Yes little one hiding he looks strong to pop up with the others Fingers crossed he will get his share ๐ my small chick is being well fed by mum until he is strong enough to fledge all others left yesterday
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Post by pete11 on May 20, 2022 15:14:45 GMT
Lovely clip of the GT brood. Great that theyโre all doing so well.
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 21, 2022 11:20:56 GMT
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 21, 2022 12:48:52 GMT
Finally! I have managed to get the GT's feeding the mealworms! Was getting a little worried as they were mostly feeding sunflower heart bits. I had to place a open tray just below the sunflower feeders so I guess they will be gone in 20 mins once the sparrows get to know. However, both parents have already brought in a dozen so I guess I will have to repeat on a daily basis. They might now take notice of my two other mealworm feeders that are sparrow proof but who knows!
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Post by suep on May 21, 2022 17:59:02 GMT
Brilliant photos and video Benn. Love the Perspex feeder. Great stuff. Sue
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 21, 2022 20:03:37 GMT
I like to try new things Sue, however it is a ever changing scene from year to year! The last 3 years the local Great Tits nested some way down at the end of the street, but used to enter and take numerous mealworms in the mealworm cage left out for Blue Tits. Now we have a pair nesting they will not use the perspex box or the cage but will take from an open tray! Trouble is our huge colony of House Sparrows eat the bloody lot within 20 mins!
However, I remembered something that Sparrows and Starlings are early to bed and late risers so I put some more out in the tray at 7:30pm tonight and it seemed to work with only a few sparrows and the Great Tits feeding their young with the mealworms rather than mostly sunflower heart bits! They were however still bringing in the odd green caterpillar and insect form time to time so that is good! Those green caterpillars seem so luminous green!
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Post by Ann70 on May 21, 2022 20:07:56 GMT
Fantastic videos and pictures Benn, absolutely love the great tit family. You live in beautiful surroundings, what part of the country are you in.oh I just noticed where you are typed near your profile info Great mealworm feeder, that will be lovely just to see them going in and out of.
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 21, 2022 21:08:49 GMT
Hi Ann, we live in a small village called Water in Rossendale. It has a long and interesting 400 year history. It is up on the moors in Rossendale. Just over the top of the moor to the north is Burnley just a few miles away, down the hill and in another valley. We are quite high up here but thankfully there has been many tree plantings on he hill side this last 30 years so there are young woods on the hills now as it used to be 700 years ago! I hate barren sheep eaten moorland but some folk think its natural which it never was!
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Post by Ann70 on May 22, 2022 5:58:34 GMT
Sounds like heaven, I absolutely love the great outdoors. We have beautiful countryside here and on our doorstep with have amazing walks in the wetlands and meadows Stanwick lakes has a 10,000 years history I am a volunteer at the historic garden there which I so enjoy Another place of interest by us is Chester house farm also has a 10,000 year history We are blessed ๐
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 25, 2022 12:08:31 GMT
The Great Tits are looking like proper little birds now. We are hoping they will hang on until Friday before they go as the weather here is terrible and more is forecast for tomorrow. I have been putting out a couple of handfuls of mealworms every day which the Great Tits usually find and exploit before the Sparrow invasion There are 7 left, perhaps we lost one in the last few days. Here is a clip (apologies as it freezes for a couple of seconds in a place):
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Post by sammi on May 27, 2022 7:17:08 GMT
Hi Benn Those great tit chicks look beautiful. It's my dream to one day have them nest in one if my boxes So pleased they're using the mealworms too.
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