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Post by suep on May 23, 2022 18:17:55 GMT
Whilst on a very wet walk in Wales today I became aware of baby birds chirping. I knew it was close but couldn’t think where it was coming from. After standing and observing for a while I was surprised to see a great tit entering what looked like an owl box? - much larger than a robin box. I patiently waited and sure enough it popped up with a fecal sac in its mouth. This huge box seemed a strange place for great tits to nest to me. I have seen blue tits nesting between tree roots and I have also seen them in metal ash tray type boxes with holes, but these both seemed quite safe from predators. This box seems very vulnerable and open enough for squirrels, magpies, jays, woodpeckers etc etc. It made me wonder if anyone else has seen unusual choices of places to raise a birdie family??? J  |
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Post by karenupnorth on May 23, 2022 20:55:59 GMT
Hope the chicks will be ok, it is very vulnerable to attack.  |
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Post by Taz on May 23, 2022 22:09:06 GMT
Yes, last year I saw a blue tit nest in the top of the pole on a street lamp, amazing. Haven't seen it this year though.
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Post by pete11 on May 24, 2022 8:15:06 GMT
BTs nested in the outer corner of next door’s roof about 5 yrs ago, just up from the gutter/downpipe. Probably not too unusual I guess.
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Post by sammi on May 25, 2022 7:10:00 GMT
We heard the unmistakable sounds of bluetit chicks on our walk and sure enough we spotted this. It's a gate barrier thing where a chain is pulled out to block the drive. It hasn't been used for years as the house is being renovated. Apologies for shaky phone footage  |
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 25, 2022 12:19:51 GMT
Someone in our local Wildlife Facebook forum posted these a week ago..... Traffic Cone and Blue Tit nest underneath. The lady was asking for advice as she did not think the chicks would be able to fledge. People were advising her to put bricks under the bottom!!!  Luckily she heeded the advice of a few of us to leave well alone!!!   |
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Post by suep on May 25, 2022 16:25:16 GMT
Just goes to show how versatile these little birds are - though I am sure safer and easier sites could be found. Love the video Sammi (our ears must be attuned to the sound of chicks ). That traffic cone is a really unusual one Benn, I so hope nobody moved the cone and they fledged successfully. The one I saw in an ash tray type container was at a crematorium but luckily someone had realised a nest was being built in it and had posted notes around it asking people to kindly not use . Sue |
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on May 26, 2022 10:28:45 GMT
Sue, We regularly walk along the Leeds Liverpool canal and used to start and finish at a pub called "The Cross Keys" in a village called East Marton before it sadly closed for good due to the pandemic  . Every Spring a pair of Blue Tits used to nest in the metal ashtray attached to the wall next to the entrance. Likewise the landlady used to put a big sign up to stop people putting their butts in. We used to enjoy drinking our beer on the tables outside watching them carry green caterpillars in from the large oak tree outside!!! I often told them to put up a nestbox next to the ashtray as the chicks must have been very hot on sunny days! |
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Post by suep on May 26, 2022 19:07:26 GMT
You are right Benn, those metal ‘boxes’ must be so hot , especially if they are anywhere in the sun. I am sure many a chick must have perished in them. I wonder if it would be worth asking the manufacturers of them to make the holes too small for blue tits to enter. After all cigarette buts don’t need that big a hole do they? I wonder who we could get in touch with. Goodness knows who manufactures them. May have to investigate this!
Sue
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Post by starling78 on May 26, 2022 20:37:58 GMT
Whilst on a very wet walk in Wales today I became aware of baby birds chirping. I knew it was close but couldn’t think where it was coming from. After standing and observing for a while I was surprised to see a great tit entering what looked like an owl box? - much larger than a robin box. I patiently waited and sure enough it popped up with a fecal sac in its mouth. This huge box seemed a strange place for great tits to nest to me. I have seen blue tits nesting between tree roots and I have also seen them in metal ash tray type boxes with holes, but these both seemed quite safe from predators. This box seems very vulnerable and open enough for squirrels, magpies, jays, woodpeckers etc etc. It made me wonder if anyone else has seen unusual choices of places to raise a birdie family??? J Very similar scenario at my allotment last year! someone had placed a very similar box on a tall wooden stake and inside a bluetit managed to rear a brood, it has no takers this year though, also last year spotted this on a lamp post, quite what the parent collared doves were thinking I'll never know, it did seem to last longer than expected but I don't know what happened in the end as it was a little far from my home.  |
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Post by suep on May 27, 2022 17:28:07 GMT
I guess it would have been warm at night  , but surely a big gust of wind and ...................    . Crazy birds. Sue |
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Luckily she heeded the advice of a few of us to leave well alone!!!
. Every Spring a pair of Blue Tits used to nest in the metal ashtray attached to the wall next to the entrance. Likewise the landlady used to put a big sign up to stop people putting their butts in. We used to enjoy drinking our beer on the tables outside watching them carry green caterpillars in from the large oak tree outside!!! I often told them to put up a nestbox next to the ashtray as the chicks must have been very hot on sunny days!
, but surely a big gust of wind and ................... 
. Crazy birds.