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Post by sammi on Mar 2, 2019 15:58:16 GMT
I've a really good feeling about this year's nests on this site.....fingers crossed for a bumper year
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Post by blueeyedchick on Mar 3, 2019 8:49:16 GMT
Sammi 25 visits to the inside of the box yesterday (Saturday) & 8 so far this morning but although he has been taking poo out I don't know if he has caught his female or not. Yesterday he brought in a conifer twig from the garden and I thought this is it but then he took it out again. This behaviour is very 'female' if we compare it with the BT's but apparently it's the male that lays the foundations and then the female removes it and makes her nest out of dried grass, so jury is still out!
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Post by suep on Mar 3, 2019 9:36:36 GMT
Fascinating stuff. We learn so much about all our amazing birds as we go along. So interesting how they are all so different in their nestbuilding etc. I so hope he finds his female, will be a brilliant watch. Sue
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 3, 2019 11:59:36 GMT
I really hope he finds a female for you Kathy No activity today at all here none stop rain all morning weather warning for the wind picking up from 3pm aswell. Rubbish day
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Post by sammi on Mar 3, 2019 12:35:08 GMT
I've got my fingers crossed he'll find a mate. The nest construction sounds like our dishwasher loading behaviour.....hubby starts to load it and I take most of it out and reload properly
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 4, 2019 13:22:44 GMT
Another hand feeding starling video for you Kathy, How incredible is this? The amount of trust its got in this person to handfeed from them daily.
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Post by blueeyedchick on Mar 4, 2019 16:08:08 GMT
You are spoiling me Paul, obviously this lady is feeding him on a regular basis by the look of the date on the film. I bet he is waiting every morning for his breakfast. It sure makes you look at Starlings in a different way. I saw on Youtube a film that showed in the USA they are considered an invasive species and people put up boxes at nesting time which are constructed to con them into thinking it's a potential nest site. When they go inside they are trapped. I couldn't watch to see what happened to them next but you can imagine! Surely there must be a better way than this, perhaps the introduction of more natural predators would reduce the numbers? I think its awful that the best solution that humans can come up with is killing.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 4, 2019 17:14:14 GMT
Kathy, I actually seen this, They do the same thing with sparrows! trap nest boxes or something they are called! Just cruel really cruel.
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Post by blueeyedchick on Mar 4, 2019 17:59:10 GMT
Yes Paul it beggars belief, thank goodness our birds are protected by law but that won't stop some people here. The RSPB were doing it not so long ago with catching Magpies but I think that was controlled rather than anyone doing it, not sure if it is still going on? They are not my favourite bird but that is not a good enough reason to slaughter them. Then we have the Grouse shooting, Deer stalking and Badger culling don't get me started!!! Time I think for another Live Aid only this time for animals and birds! I'll have a word with Brian May next time I see him.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2019 10:03:41 GMT
I would have to disagree on the Magpies Kathy. This is a species that has seen a huge increase in population (probably 5 fold in urban areas) over the past 50 years due to human throwaway food and waste. They are natural egg stealers and take young and I have witnessed them ravaging nestlings from boxes and repeatedly raiding the nests of Blackbirds, Dunnocks and other open nesters. Their affect on our local songbird population has been devastating.
Where once we had one pair nesting for every square mile, we now have a pair every 100 yards. Perhaps the answer is for the RSPB to have a campaign of nest destroying until the population comes down.
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Post by blueeyedchick on Mar 5, 2019 14:21:53 GMT
That's fine Benn no problem to disagree!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2019 14:30:40 GMT
That's fine Benn no problem to disagree! Absolutely Kathy
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Post by blueeyedchick on Mar 17, 2019 9:43:36 GMT
Well not much to report on the Starling front except a possible partner for Spike yesterday. Definitely a different bird flew into the box as soon as Spike flew out and had different nest box behaviour. Wish I knew what was going on I am still none the wiser Ten visits yesterday so keeping pace. I am trying to tempt her in with plenty of dried mealies on the feeder but that's it for now no lives just yet. The outside of the box has had many visits as it is getting very dirty with waste products!!! Until next update cheerio.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 17, 2019 11:07:31 GMT
I really hope this leads to nesting for you Kathy! Fingers crossed
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Post by blueeyedchick on Mar 31, 2019 10:12:39 GMT
Noticed this while viewing my files on return. Has Spike made progress with catching his girl or is this unlikely as visits have diminished somewhat? time will no doubt tell Thanks all for your previous likes and comments. Will catch up with you all soon. P.S The bird might be a male as they build the beginning of the nest therefore he would want to measure whether it would be suitable wouldn't he?
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 31, 2019 10:34:05 GMT
Could be either Kathy, But still shows its measuring out the box for you. Benn would know if Males nest wriggle, If its like the sparrow male do more nest wriggles than female. Saying that my current male blue tit nest wriggles everytime he enters the box this year. I was hoping the update was nest being built haha never clicked a thread so fast.
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Post by blueeyedchick on Apr 1, 2019 7:52:54 GMT
Yes, Paul I was teasing you. Looking over the footage a few times it might have been male, dark plumage, females seem to be lighter than the male. Oh I hate all this minute scrutiny, wish they would make a move on whether I need to increase my meal worm order!
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