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Post by springtime 66 on Apr 20, 2020 10:03:10 GMT
good luck, with watching the nest building, relax in your hide
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 20, 2020 10:24:47 GMT
Shame you can't keep her indoors GBH,
Could be the difference between you getting a nest or not.
If the GT does go on to fully build and lay eggs, If you could try and get her indoors during chicks hatching mainly just the daytime I would really think about that.
With mum and dad back and forth during feeding I am sure it will become noticeable to spooky would be a horrible outcome for the birds to end up dead and chicks dying.
Good luck with the GT's though, I hope it becomes a success for you.
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Apr 20, 2020 10:34:23 GMT
I know you are all correct of course - that is the obvious answer.... gah!! The joys of being a reluctant cat owner....  Anyway here is a little video of Ms GT....she got a bit startled when the shed door banged in the wind and she took off after a bit, nearly taking most of the material with her..  |
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 20, 2020 10:38:57 GMT
Aww she's lovely  I am still laughing at the fact its that dam aldi box that caused you nothing but stress at the old house!  Really couldn't write the drama of your season so far GBH. All looking amazing, Nest being built, Cat shows up Cat adopted, cat scares away nest builders (if that was the reason) weeks later GT shows up, Using a box that brought you zero luck in your old house, Cat now becoming a gymnastic climbing hedges to get on the shed!  Honestly couldn't write it. |
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Post by suep on Apr 20, 2020 10:50:25 GMT
So excited that building is taking place for you GBH, but wish for your sake there was a way around the cat problem. Seems you're stuck between a rock and a hard place! Like Paul, I just cannot believe it’s the Aldi box that has come up trumps for you. So so hope the great tit keeps building for you and that Spooky gets bored  . Shame there’s not a way to build some sort of cage around the box that would keep Spooky off but let the birds in. Really really want this to happen for you GBH.  Sue |
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Apr 20, 2020 12:12:23 GMT
I know I've posted this up before on the last forum....but this is seriously me here today. |
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Post by hfriel on Apr 20, 2020 13:08:48 GMT
Great news GBH  I’ve the same thing going on here with my newly adopted kitten/cat, as in I know exactly where the bluetit is because the cat is following her everywhere when shes in the garden. Her (the cat’s) favourite sleeping places are under the feeding station (don’t mind too much as hopefully shes keeping rats away) and under the nest box, we’ve put chicken wire round the base on the ground, so she cant climb up to it. We havn’t had any ‘presents’ from the cat yet as in mice or birds, she seems to spend her time chasing bumblebees, so 🤞 Ive always had cats and have been doing this for over 12 years. My very first nestbox with a camera (12 years ago) I was watching 4 cute little chicks in the nest cup when all of a sudden a big grey furry thing appeared in the nest hole. MY CAT, I was out that door and up the tree in seconds. All I could see on the TV was an upside down nest and no chicks  Anyway to make a long story short, the parents were able to rescue the chicks and 3 survived in a very strange nest structure and went on to fledge. That’s when I started using chicken wire. Hope she builds a lovely strong nest....you really deserve it at this stage |
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Post by sammi on Apr 20, 2020 13:16:32 GMT
 Oh goodness me. The old Aldi box. Mine is still I bits. I may just put it back together. So pleased for you. 
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2020 13:56:33 GMT
Hope your cat does not spoil it all for you GBH. Fingers crossed! My wife is totally allergic to cats too.
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Apr 20, 2020 14:30:25 GMT
Thanks everyone - and for listening to my whinging about the bloomin cat - I deserve no sympathy of course, because its all self inflicted!! Well, the Great Tits are playing ball and still building.  Not put off by Spookys morning antics just yet.... Here is a little crappy video of the pair. Obviously, it would be so much easier if they had used my other two boxes with the better system, but so thankful they have selected one at all!! Even if it is the one with the old camera! Even if had been one with NO camera!!! The picture is actually excellent on the TV screen in real life, but not so much when you go to film it on your mobile phone: In relation to deterring the cat, I will be putting a few safe guards in place, such as chicken wire etc and pepper around the ground and other hacks I read up about, but I think I have found a reasonably costed permanent solution and will also put off other cats too, not just Spooky. I think I'm going to invest in one of these: Its a sensor activated water spray - I could place it under the box at ground level:  There is a garden & pond mini electric fencing system too, where you can place around the area that you don't want interfered with -which is also a great option, but it is a bit on the pricey side, and I'm not keen on shocking other unsuspecting animals or little humans:  We are hoping to get hens in the future, so on reading the reviews the water sprayer is a great fox deterrent also - so it won't end being an impulsive purchase for this "one off" seasonal use just for the wild bird box. |
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 20, 2020 14:45:53 GMT
GBH, Why am I visioning you coming on the forum next week saying.. "Well guys, spooky bloody loves the jetspray she's treating it like a shower" |
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Apr 20, 2020 14:50:47 GMT
Oh.....don't even say that!!!!!!! Never thought of that....oh....wouldn't that be so typical.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 20, 2020 14:55:35 GMT
If she is anything like my cats who HATE their baths with a passion I think you'll be fine!  |
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Post by Beechnut on Apr 20, 2020 14:59:58 GMT
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Post by springtime 66 on Apr 20, 2020 15:03:15 GMT
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Apr 20, 2020 15:51:51 GMT
Funny story...while I wasn't watching Beaktrixs box today, a wasp has set up home and started a paper nest in her topview box....right on the lens of the camera. Unbelievable!!!  As Paul says, you couldn't make it up. Need to find a way now to get rid of it immediately and clean the lens. Good grief. So, looking for a bit of advice...while I'm in the box, do you think I should leave all the current nesting material there, or clean it out? |
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 20, 2020 16:00:00 GMT
I think you need to write a book "Nest box tales with GBH" I'd leave the material in the box, But its up to you. |
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Post by Taz on Apr 20, 2020 16:17:17 GMT
I can't keep up 😂 nest box tales from GBH and tales from the moors.
Any one else? 😂🐣
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 20, 2020 16:24:57 GMT
I can't keep up 😂 nest box tales from GBH and tales from the moors. Any one else? 😂🐣 Tales by Taz! |
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Post by Taz on Apr 20, 2020 16:31:41 GMT
I can't keep up 😂 nest box tales from GBH and tales from the moors. Any one else? 😂🐣 Tales by Taz! 😂😂🐣 |
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Apr 21, 2020 6:50:19 GMT
Good morning everyone... What surprises will today bring!!!???  Thanks Paul, I'll take your advice...Yes, on the slimmest chance in the whole wide world, that Beaktrix is off somewhere and decides to come back, I will leave everything as she left it. So, I was about to do the job of evicting the wasp from the box, but I can see from last nights footage that she (Queen wasp) has worked all through the night and is using the cylindrical shape of the lens to start the funnel of her nest. Not good.  Its a really big wasp, and so I'm a little bit worried she will attack me if I interfere while she's still in there, which is has been since dawn - she's resting right on the lens. I really want to her to leave of her own accord and not come back...plus I'm now thinking the shape of the roof and tight fit might make it difficult for me to get in and do the bar of soap trick on the inside of the roof. Another tip I read online is to put up a decoy wasps nest...in the absence of any local hardware stores where you can buy a small brown 'chinese lantern' style one, I decided to make one myself out of a toilet roll insert & some brown paper.  Sure, look, if it works - brilliant!!! If it doesn't, it only cost me about 25 mins of my time. A time is what I have LOADS of!!! |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2020 7:42:41 GMT
Wow! You are very kind GBH re the wasps. I'm afraid that both me and Mrs Benn have been stung too many times to put up with them living so close. It would be a sharp spray with wasp & fly killer through the entrance hole!
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Apr 21, 2020 8:01:42 GMT
Well, I'm not a fan of wasps at all - in fact I HATE them really, and have been stung only last year - 1st time in about 30 years!! Nasty. Wasps are great for the garden, and do some pollinating and alot of pest control. In the interest of trying to be 'nature friendly', I'll do it this way for now.... more importantly as they are in the bird boxes, don't want to spray anything in their that might effect the birds. As sure we'll see...I might have to do something different if they are persistant. But so far so good, Ms McQueen has now left the box, I'd like to think she paused momentarily when it saw the 'decoy' and shuddered in fear. Anyway she flew off...she has not been back since - too early to say whether it worked or not...but wouldn't it be great if it did!! Here is a picture of the work so far in the GTs Aldi box....it slow progress but going in the right direction. Also, there appears to be three of them?...thought so yesterday but wasn't sure, but now today having observed the activity from outside there is definitely a trio of GTs flitting around the box and feeding together etc - whats that all about???.  |
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Apr 21, 2020 8:11:02 GMT
Spoke too soon...Ms McQueen is back and working away. So...she's not fooled by my amazing brown paper fake nest, it seems.  I think I'm going to have to open up the front section of the box, and just leave it like that all day.....might put her off continuing. Then later I'll do the soap thing on the inside of the roof and around the rim of the lens, as it really did work on the other box. Not looking forward to this.....  |
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Post by suep on Apr 21, 2020 11:21:48 GMT
Good luck GBH, your outfit made me laugh. Hope you didn’t get stung. Sue ps thought you toilet roll wasp nest was very ingenious |
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. Shame there’s not a way to build some sort of cage around the box that would keep Spooky off but let the birds in. Really really want this to happen for you GBH. 
Anyway to make a long story short, the parents were able to rescue the chicks and 3 survived in a very strange nest structure and went on to fledge. That’s when I started using chicken wire.
Oh goodness me. The old Aldi box. Mine is still I bits. I may just put it back together. So pleased for you. 
Not put off by Spookys morning antics just yet....
