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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 11, 2019 18:11:40 GMT
Hi all,
Good to be back for a new season and on the new forum!
As is usual with my small garden, I only have a few projects going compared to some of you pros on here. I have the same male Bluetit from last year with a new female who have claimed my nestbox again. He roosted all Winter in the nextdoor neighbours roof, but last years female was never seen after the breeding season again. He paired up in January and she took over his roost spot. The evenings I do see them go to roost, he actually roosts far away, down a block or two. Any reasons why they would never roost in Winter in the nestbox? Now they guard the nestbox, female tapping around the entrance and inside, waiting to start building the nest. I suspect it’s too cold, wet and windy to start! I have a Robin nestbox up with no takers yet. Also, I have a Bumblebee nestbox out, but I will have more luck winning the lotto then them using it. Hope they prove me wrong! I have a pair of Bluetits this year instead of Great tits in my work nestbox (put metal plate restriction on for Great tits). Nice to have 2x pairs to compare nesting behaviour and timings. Some photos of my nestboxes to follow... I had great success feeding during the Winter using some hanging basket brackets off the shed for feeders and a ground feeder. White Sunflower hearts, Peanuts, Fat balls, Seeds mixes and Mealworms were all used. A few flocks of Long tailed tits and Coal tits were the real highlights. I stopped feeding in February, as the nesting season started up, so my Blue tits won’t get stressed fighting away other birds all the time. I had issues with my nestbox camera setup and sold it on as the breeding season came to end last year. Hoping to start something soon again on this front... Some videos salvaged of last season 2018...
Great tits feeding chicks 12/5/18.
Blue tit chicks hatched- 28/5/18.
Bluetit feeding chicks- 11/6/18.
Bluetit chick fed at entrance- 13/6/18.
Bluetit chick pushed off entrance- 13/6/18.
Bluetit adults feeding- 13/6/18.
Bluetit chick on lookout- 13/6/18.
Bluetit chicks fledging- 14/6/18.
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 11, 2019 18:27:11 GMT
11th March 2019:Bluetit nestbox... Robin nestbox... Bumblebee nestbox...
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 11, 2019 19:07:31 GMT
Shame you had to sell your camera box Robbie, You went through the trouble buying everything aswell. Good luck with the boxes and the bee box! Look forward to the updates.
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 11, 2019 20:02:28 GMT
Yes, I was looking forward to using it this season too and with 2x eagar pair of BT’s!
The LED light from Green feathers will be purchased again, that is a great piece of kit, so cheap and quality of colour provided is great. I’ll have to look into getting another setup 12v camera nestbox again! (much longer cable needed too, with wider angle lens!) Or I’ll get the famous side view box.
I see evidence at my nestbox that some dry grass has been put in by the female, but the bad weather has probably stopped her again. I think it will be a quiet week with storm Gareth tomorrow rolling in... Still, early days, nest building is usually April for my BT’s.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 11, 2019 21:16:41 GMT
Looking very good for you then Robbie, Most of us aren't even getting blue tit visits at moment and when we do its very brief, My little sparrows have been building though, But since weather change nest buildings completely stopped even for them.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2019 21:55:59 GMT
Welcome to the board Robbie. Good luck with your boxes!
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Post by natalie on Mar 11, 2019 23:21:44 GMT
Do you not have cams in the current boxes bluetitkeeper?
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 12, 2019 9:44:14 GMT
Thanks Benn.
Unfortunately not Natalie, as these RSPB boxes are not built for them, I have attempted an install in them before. Best to buy a camera ready box. I have had this same nestbox up last year and this same male is using again with a different female. I will be on the forum more so to see what all the members birds are up to this year, with only the odd update here. I am moving back to Ireland by September in order to buy a house, so down the line I will set up correctly next year with a side view BT box and a House sparrow setup under the eaves. Plenty of house martins and swifts in Carlow, along with Starlings and Jackdaws too. I will probably make a Jackdaw nest box as a project when I get settled in. They can be noisy however, but I love them!
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 12, 2019 9:45:17 GMT
As this BT nestbox is low (Shed roof height) and not up on a tall tree or roof eave, is this why they would not roost for Winter 2x years in a row?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2019 12:27:51 GMT
As this BT nestbox is low (Shed roof height) and not up on a tall tree or roof eave, is this why they would not roost for Winter 2x years in a row? Hard to say. I used to have Great tits nesting and roosting in my shed box for two years, then nothing. It does pay to move boxes around if they remain unoccupied for nesting. I have noticed in spring where the female to my male Blue Tit rooster ended up. One year it was a tiny hole in a neighbours house where the toilet overflow pipe came out, the other was one of the martins nest.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 12, 2019 13:34:59 GMT
Hmm, Not sure about this. I'll admit during winter my boxes on the house walls are the only ones to be used to roost. The lowest box I have in the garden is my "tree" box which as been in that spot for 3 years, Its had 2 nests but never a rooster during winter.
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Post by petesbox on Mar 12, 2019 15:52:29 GMT
I had a great tit roost the whole winter 2017 - 2018 the box is only 6ft off the ground, i suppose its just weather they take a liking to it or actuarly find it, just my guess.
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 12, 2019 17:37:27 GMT
Yes, I think higher the box, the bigger the chance of roosters. I am still happy to have nesters come Spring!
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 15, 2019 6:52:42 GMT
Another day of wind and rain in London, so not much activity to report over this weekend. It is to get better next week. The male BT was around yesterday in the tree, he was not to happy to see me go into the shed where the nestbox is located, but needs must! They will get used to that again. Last year they would feed the chicks while I cut the grass and worked in the shed!
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Post by blueeyedchick on Mar 15, 2019 12:48:55 GMT
Hi BTK Glad to see you over here with us. Good luck with your boxes this season I'm sure we will hear lots from you in the coming weeks.
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Post by YorksherLass on Mar 16, 2019 15:17:44 GMT
back Robbie! Fantastic video clips & photos of yours from the old forum - great to see them again. I hope all goes well for you when you move back to Ireland.
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 19, 2019 6:07:44 GMT
Thanks guys~!
Activity has shot up this week. Plenty of visits in the afternoon, did not witness any material go in yet. Could be happening in the mornings, while I am at work.
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 20, 2019 20:13:11 GMT
Both BT nest boxes have had the females delivering shed loads of moss this week, while the males look on with guard duty and following the females around. Plenty of box visits. No roosting in my home nest box yet. What nest plate size is it again for Bluetits WildlifePaul you recommend? 25mm if I remember was too tight. Was it 28mm?! 32mm for Great tits?! Can you provide a link please?
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Post by WildlifePaul on Mar 20, 2019 20:21:15 GMT
Blue tits will fit into 25mm but sometimes its a squeeze, So I just use 28mm for the blue tits so isn't as tight and 32mm for sparrow / great tit. I get my small nestbox plates from Gardenature. gardenature.co.uk/product/32mmYou can get cheaper large ones on likes of Ebay, But I personally like the smaller nest box plate on my boxes instead of a large one.
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 20, 2019 20:42:36 GMT
Thanks Paul, they are the ones I was after!
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 21, 2019 16:28:29 GMT
Constantly nest building all day today! The pair had a conflict with a pair of Great tits, chasing them around the tree and where seen off from their favourite tree. I never seen Great tits back off from BT’s before...Then the female chased of a Dunnock ( in video ) and had a go at the male too for good measure ( in video )! Plenty of moss and grass going in. I see she has 2x different preferences sites for moss and grass. Grass next door and moss is a bit away. Some shots of the pair in their tree too. A balmy 15oc in London, so things ticking along here. Even my Yorkie goes under the nestbox, she continues on and acts like he is not there. She’s a bold one this year, more so then last years female. Strongly believe it’s the same male from last year however. Some videos from today on my iPhone.... could be shot as far away as the Moon!!!
Dunnock chasing!
The pair in their tree... as always the male follows and keeps an eye on the female...
The female brings in more moss and has a go at the male for just watching! Like my life...!
The upload quality degraded further on YouTube, but you get the gest of what’s going on!!
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 22, 2019 6:59:49 GMT
Sorry to say I have missed out on the first Robin brood this year. I have seen my local pair courtship feeding and the female darting down to a nest area in a different back garden. Maybe 2nd or 3rd brood I will get lucky, I think I need more leaf cover from my shrubs as I got a bit happy with the trim back last Autumn. When it's fully leafed shrubs, I will be good to go. Also, it's a new open-fronted box, as the last one was rotten, yet they still nested in it. Robin's are strange when it comes to nesting, I guess they love the neglected, natural look of the old box and don't like new boxes, as they get suspicious. Teapot on it's side is just as good!
Bumblebee box... for the skip, I inspected the nest today and the ants have taken control. No self respecting Queen bee will nest here as here reserves of nectar and pollen will disappear and the colony fail. These boxes failure rate are around 90% mark anyway! They are very fussy nesters.
The pair of BT's at my job are nest building away, (well female is!) nest must nearly be finished now.
A pair of Magpie's in my work have decided to build their nest in a Conifer just across from the BT's. Should be interesting, but twigs everywhere are on the ground, always messy nesters as they try to form the dome shape. I do have a lot of time for Magpie's, one of my favorite species to watch, despite what they can do to the eggs and chicks and what they did to my Robin chicks last year.
If I find any other nests, I will update with photos.
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Post by YorksherLass on Mar 22, 2019 15:30:56 GMT
I really enjoyed watching your four video clips & I hope everything works out for you with a robin nest in the future. I was gardening again until 1.00p.m. today & suddenly I heard a loud noise, looked to see what was the cause - a tree surgeon up the oak tree next door to me! Oh no, don't be felling the tree, not now as my great tits are nest building & they will need it (I thought it). Utter relief when he only got rid of two massive branches overhanging a lot into next door but ones garden, after she complained to my next door neighbour.
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 22, 2019 18:59:50 GMT
Glad the oak tree is safe. Both species love them and without a tree nearby it’s hard to attract them into the garden.
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Post by Bluetitkeeper on Mar 23, 2019 18:40:13 GMT
Got out and mowed the lawn today, so I had the Robin couple all day feeding. I hope they consider my box for their second brood! Both female BT and male Robin in image here! The BT’s are patient while I was gardening... A small, but tidy garden!
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