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Post by starling78 on Mar 12, 2023 9:29:47 GMT
Hello all! We should have another noisy starling nest to watch this year 😊 the female has just started to bring some material into the box this morning, the camera is a bit misty not sure why 🤔 I think the cold spell messed it up a bit but hopefully will get some pics/vids up shortly.
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Post by suep on Mar 12, 2023 10:59:06 GMT
This is great news, will look forward to updates.
Sue
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Post by pete11 on Mar 12, 2023 13:52:01 GMT
Good news! Sounds v promising!
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Post by matt on Mar 14, 2023 14:14:03 GMT
Brilliant! Seems early, or not?
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Post by starling78 on Mar 14, 2023 18:05:05 GMT
Brilliant! Seems early, or not? Still a bit early Matt, after those initial strands of grass no more has been brought in so nothing has seriously started though the pair are in and around the box every day keeping others at bay, haven't seen as much activity in my other two starling boxes though. |
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Post by starling78 on Mar 23, 2023 10:48:19 GMT
I have some footage of the starling this morning adding more bits to the nest and shaping it, I apologise about the dismal quality of the camera it has no lighting and now has a blurred bit on the lens! I must get a new one in there next year, I find cranking the brightness on the monitor up to max tends to help a little  |
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Post by pete11 on Mar 25, 2023 14:20:03 GMT
Any camera is better than none! That's my motto this year So interesting to see starlings in this situation. Looking forward to seeing more! |
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Post by starling78 on Mar 27, 2023 10:11:22 GMT
The nest is coming along nicely, both male and female are building although as with the bluetits the male gives way when the female appears or she shouts at him to get out   |
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 27, 2023 10:59:02 GMT
Glad its all going well for you!
Are your cameras wired version Starling? I have a few spare cameras knocking about after switching to IP cameras.
Happy to send you one instead of you paying out for one I am not using them no more so 1 might aswell go to a good home.
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Post by starling78 on Mar 27, 2023 14:12:33 GMT
Hello Paul that is very kind of you thank you but I have ordered one for this box now, it is a wired one but with a usb connection to my laptop going through the bathroom window as I have no other way to connect, the one I have coming also has IR so I can view the birds when it gets dark too and not just when it is sunny out!
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 27, 2023 16:49:27 GMT
No problem, Just thought I'd offer!
Seems like you've got it all sorted looking forward to seeing the starling posts this year off you its nice to see into different nests!
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Post by sammi on Mar 28, 2023 11:09:35 GMT
I am looking forward to seeing your starling nest. |
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 138
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Post by benn on Apr 1, 2023 11:46:36 GMT
I am also looking forward to watching your Starlings. Our Starling box has been ignored since 2018 and there is zero interest this year so far  So I miss my Starling fix! The ones on our street always seem to prefer gaps under the eaves and ironically since several houses were re-tiled there appears to be more of these sites! There is a slender hope that a male might attract a second female which may utilise the box as has happened in the past. |
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Post by starling78 on Apr 1, 2023 14:47:12 GMT
Thanks all I'll do my best to report back as and when the weather permits so I can take a peek, it seems that starling nesting opportunities are few and far between here hence the uptake of all of my boxes every year, there was one in the house opposite me under the roof tiles but they have been kicked out now with the appearance of anti bird spikes  bluetits on the other hand have plenty of boxes to choose from so I am lucky when they choose to nest with me, no luck so far this year but I know it's early so I can but hope! |
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Post by Ann70 on Apr 1, 2023 15:20:55 GMT
Good luck
I also have plenty of boxes for blue tits to choose from but lacking in numbers only one pair here
It’s very cold so nothing happening, next 3 days apparently we have sun forecast
I’m still hopeful 🤞🏻
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Post by starling78 on Apr 5, 2023 8:16:56 GMT
Nest still coming along nicely, looks like it won't be long before eggs appear, managed to catch the male vocalising outside the box this morning, I just love all the funny noises they make |
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 6, 2023 9:55:39 GMT
Coming along nicely for you  |
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Post by starling78 on Apr 7, 2023 18:21:19 GMT
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Post by pete11 on Apr 8, 2023 9:09:00 GMT
Great news on the starling nest and the BTs...If no camera in the BT nest box, is it somewhere where you could put a trail cam to catch some comings & goings?
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Post by starling78 on Apr 8, 2023 12:54:53 GMT
Great news on the starling nest and the BTs...If no camera in the BT nest box, is it somewhere where you could put a trail cam to catch some comings & goings? Funny you should say that Pete! I have managed to get hold of a little solar power security camera to put on the side fence so I have been able to watch them coming and going today I'll try and get a little vid recorded, the box is a funny one it's been up for at least 4 years and hasn't had many nests I think the first year it did have a bluetit nest in the top chamber but I was none the wiser until it was taken down for cleaning. It's a funny shape, a triangle with separate 3 chambers but the female seems to have settled for the bottom left chamber although the male keeps trying to get her to go into the top, it did look like I was going to have sparrows in the top chamber last year but in the end they never nested it was quite late in the year if I remember correctly, the doorbell has just gone and it's my new starling camera yay! |
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Post by starling78 on Apr 8, 2023 20:39:55 GMT
Here is a little vid of the blue tit box and the male hanging about near the hole until the female arrives Happy Easter everyone! |
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Post by pete11 on Apr 8, 2023 22:38:07 GMT
Interesting to see the box location - I did consider putting a box up somewhere similar last year at the front of the house but thought it might not be 'leafy' enough... But your example blows that theory out completely.
I might give it a try next year.
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Post by starling78 on Apr 11, 2023 17:55:06 GMT
Looks like the starlings have their first egg this morning, unfortunately the new camera is in a poor position in relation to the nest cup so I haven't glimpsed it yet and the sound is not working properly, just my luck! but judging by her behaviour this morning I'd say there is an egg in there.
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Post by starling78 on Apr 12, 2023 10:25:58 GMT
Managed to get a quick glimpse of an egg this morning! should be a second one on the way shortly she was in the way of the nest hole when the pic was taken so the camera reverted to ir but the eggs are a gorgeous blue colour.  |
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Post by starling78 on Apr 15, 2023 7:57:44 GMT
A few developments here, the starlings I think have 4 eggs now could be 5 but it looks like that is it going by the behaviour, I only ever manage to see two at a time because of the camera angle but hopefully in 2 weeks or so we may get a glimpse of some chicks! Here is what I took yesterday:  My male bluetit has managed to get a second female and is only now showing her nest boxes so those of you without nests don't lose hope just yet! she seems quite interested in another one of mine, again without a camera  so it will be a record for me if I have 2 as I have only ever had one at a time or none, the first female has been collecting my rabbit hair I put out for her to line her nest, just wish I had a camera in that box as the nest must be so cosy! |
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bluetits on the other hand have plenty of boxes to choose from so I am lucky when they choose to nest with me, no luck so far this year but I know it's early so I can but hope!
this box unfortunately does not have a camera and it's my least viewable box on the north side of my house but she started to build yesterday only to take it all out again this morning 
she is back and forth all day and seems to be roosting in there too so will post developments with that one when I see hear/more 
so it will be a record for me if I have 2 as I have only ever had one at a time or none, the first female has been collecting my rabbit hair I put out for her to line her nest, just wish I had a camera in that box as the nest must be so cosy!