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Post by matt on Dec 25, 2020 15:24:49 GMT
Quick update: I finally got the first of the starling boxes up last Sunday. No action until this morning (lovely sunny day), when a starling popped his head in no less than 10 times over the course of a few hours, so that is encouraging! Very cagey though, just a quick look inside so far but hopefully confidence will grow. A bluetit also had a bit of a look as well - they don't seem too put off by the bigger hole (45mm)! A pic of the box in-situ. Note the hole in the brick to the right of the box - this is where we have had starlings nest the last two years. I will block it up, and hopefully they will transfer to the box (fingers crossed!): And a quick still from a starling visit video. I don't really expect it to be in focus this close to the cam, but it is nice to be able to see the hole in the camera view to get an idea of what is going on outside: Merry Christmas everyone, and fingers crossed for a bumper nesting season and a better 2021!!!
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Post by Ann70 on Dec 25, 2020 19:01:10 GMT
Matt Good luck with your starling box, hope you have a wonderful christmas with your family. wishing for a good season and certainly a much better 2021 than this 2020 year, keep looking forward and keep hoping for better
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Post by karenupnorth on Dec 25, 2020 19:26:16 GMT
Happy Christmas Matt, I have a good feeling about your Starling box, good things to come Im sure.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Dec 26, 2020 10:22:00 GMT
Brilliant Matt, I really hope the starling takes to the new box, Be great if it does! Can't wait to see if your stone blue tit boxes do the job and get them to nest in your garden this year!
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Post by YorksherLass on Dec 26, 2020 11:12:47 GMT
Matt, wonderful piccies & news update - I bet this really made your day yesterday! Things really do look promising with the starlings for next year so for success as you deserve it after all your hard work. Enjoy your Boxing Day too.
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Post by matt on Dec 26, 2020 14:29:09 GMT
Thanks all, yes - quite excited to see the starling inspections! It even motivated me to get off my backside today and get the last of my boxes up, which is another starling box on the other side of the house: This one is next to an old hole in the wall that sparrows nested in the last two years. I have now blocked the hole, so fingers crossed either a sparrow or starling (or anything else!) takes a liking to this one. Again, 45mm hole. I now have 6x boxes all up, all with cameras running through iSpy with motion detection on. Jan has typically seen the start of more serious inspections for me, so hopefully I will have something to report. Quite excited about my diversication of species targets this season, so if the bluetits let me down again maybe something else will fill the gap
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Post by karenupnorth on Dec 26, 2020 15:36:46 GMT
Looking great Matt, really hope you get a nest this year, I see you use ispy too, for some reason I cant get sound, any idea what I can do to sort it?
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Post by matt on Dec 26, 2020 18:06:01 GMT
Wish I could help Karen, but I don't use sound - I don't have mics set up with my cameras. I was planning on adding a mic to a couple of the boxes though, so if I do get around to it, and work it out, I will let you know! This is the first year for me with iSpy. Seems OK so far, but sometimes a bit flaky (e.g. lose a camera, and have to restart the whole thing to get it back). Nice to be able to see everything at once though. I've got 6 lined up on one screen! Hopefully full of action in just a few short months..
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Post by karenupnorth on Dec 26, 2020 19:19:43 GMT
No worries Matt, I find ispy pretty good, but I need two more capture devices to watch/record all 3 at a time, will get there eventually.
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kevin
Senior Member
Posts: 123
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Post by kevin on Dec 27, 2020 6:58:41 GMT
Hi Matt the starling next box looks great, I hope you have a next next year.
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Post by YorksherLass on Dec 27, 2020 15:35:52 GMT
Matt you're certainly a glutton for punishment, putting up yet another concrete box, but good for you!
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Post by matt on Dec 29, 2020 9:16:11 GMT
A poo in my three-hole concrete box?! I don't know, but let me know what you think. It wasn't in there last night, as the lights went off (4pm), but it was in there this morning when the lights went on at 8 am, so maybe I got a rooster? I don't have IR cam in this box, and lights go off quite early so I didn't get sight of the possible culprit.. p.s. in all the years so far, I have never had a rooster so it would be quite exciting!!
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Post by WildlifePaul on Dec 29, 2020 10:35:01 GMT
Certainly looks that way Matt! Such a shame you haven't got IR on the cameras this year, Over the coming days if more and more poo is there during the morning its 100% a rooster.
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Post by matt on Dec 29, 2020 11:53:28 GMT
Yeah, definitely looks like bird poo doesn't it Paul! There is a little white bit on the side as well, which wasn't there yesterday.. I don't think I have ever been as pleased to see a poo? I don't mind too much not seeing it in there, so long as the evidence of it going in is there. Will be interesting now to watch what happens over the next few nights. Now we are having this cold snap, that might be what is driving them indoors? Another couple of quick visits from the starling today, but it hasn't yet plucked up the courage to go right inside:
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Post by WildlifePaul on Dec 29, 2020 12:06:35 GMT
You'll know over the coming days Matt, If the poo keeps building up its a Male, If you see bird come in during day removing the poo its female. I have had a rooster in one of my boxes since September and you wouldn't know its spotless! The males on the other hand shit creek after a week! Did you block the hole in where the starling used to nest? Its great that its checking the box out, I am sure it will go inside in the coming weeks! Be lovely for you to get a starling nest on camera, Something different isn't it instead of the standard BT and GT.
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Post by matt on Dec 29, 2020 12:33:55 GMT
Haven't blocked it yet Paul, but planning to do so soon. Hopefully that will drive them inside! You'd think a starling nest would be easy, given the amount there are around. That doesn't seem to be the case, judging by the people who have tried on here. I agree though would be great to get any sort of nest, so trying a few options might help! Also got the robin/open fronted as another option as well, although no visits to that one for a while.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Dec 29, 2020 13:34:46 GMT
Don't leave that to long to block up Matt, My sparrows start bringing material in during February, I imagine the starlings will be the same if its a nest site they have used regular. You want them to get used to the box being the only nest site for them, Plus gives them extra time to find a new site if they aren't feeling the box. Yes Starlings are a ticky one it seems, Its like sparrows though, So many of them but getting them to take to a box is hard! My starling box currently got a messy Male BT, Atleast its getting some action I suppose I must admit though, Starling numbers are certainly down in my garden compared to 2 years ago. Used to have about 20 / 30 over the fat / suet daily, Now I am lucky to see the odd 2 or 3 so numbers of them truly down in my area! Sparrows on the other hand, get about 50 of them a day raiding my sunflower hearts!
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Post by matt on Dec 29, 2020 14:10:09 GMT
Yeah I'll get it done very soon Paul. I did block the sparrow hole on the other side of the house when mounting the other starling box. Who knows? Perhaps even a sparrow will take a look.. Sparrows are a weird one for me, since we get loads of them, and I have them nesting all around the house - but not so much as a peek in the hole of any of the nest boxes, and I had one with a big enough hole last year. Fingers crossed for a starling - we still have plenty, for better or for worse! They do certainly demolish the fat blocks pretty quickly..
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Post by matt on Dec 29, 2020 15:24:41 GMT
OK, I've extended the hours of light a little on the potential rooster box. Now the light starts turning on 40 minutes before sunrise, but does so very slowly (fades up over about 15 mins). Likewise at dusk, it starts fading a little later. Might give me a bit of time to see the culprit!
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Post by WildlifePaul on Dec 29, 2020 16:02:42 GMT
Did you manage to see anything Matt?
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Post by matt on Dec 29, 2020 23:24:47 GMT
Nothing by 4.30 Paul, when the light went off. It was pretty dark by then, so I doubt it would have went in after, but who knows? We'll find out tomorrow Do they always come every night if they start to roost?
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Post by matt on Dec 30, 2020 9:42:13 GMT
No overnight evidence, but more visits to the box this morning (no poo removal!), so things are still fairly active
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Post by matt on Dec 31, 2020 9:36:49 GMT
FIrst ever sparrow inspection? Not much to go on, but I think the beak is a giveaway - what do you reckon Paul? It was a super quick look, just about 3-4 frames of video in total! As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I've never had a sparrow so much as look at once of my boxes before, so this could be interesting. This is the second starling box, and is located next to a (now blocked) hole in the wall that has had sparrows nest the last two years. Apologies for pic quality - it is not in focus this close to the camera:
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Post by matt on Dec 31, 2020 10:12:21 GMT
Well not much doubt that this one is a sparrow! This is on the starling box on the other side of the house. Sparrows are starting to get frisky? Another couple of visits from a sparrow as well since taking this pic, and also from a bluetit. Maybe these boxes with bigger holes (45mm) are the way to go? Certainly opens up the possible species list..
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Post by WildlifePaul on Dec 31, 2020 10:40:05 GMT
Oh brilliant Matt! I love our little sparrows, They have give me 3 nests a year for 5 years now so having one of them nesting in the box is great and they both share the incubating aswell, Not just the female like the blue tits also both build the nest, If you do get a sparrow nest they start loyal to the nest site so its a great bird to have nesting, Although not colourful like the blue tit / great tit you get alot out of them! The sparrow won't care about the 45mm hole at all, What normally happens is the male will sit on top of the box during next month and call, He will normally add a few bits of material to put his mark on the box, single females (sparrows stay paired for life unlike blue tits) so single females will come off his calls and check out his nest site, If she approves she will start adding material. So if you do see a little straw added in the coming weeks it will just be the male. Sparrows do normally start nest building sooner than blue tits / great tits, Ours normally start adding material during February! But they do build the nest slow when they start early they won't start laying eggs until late march / early april. Fingers crossed that the blue tits dont let you down this year, But if they do and you end up with a sparrow or starling you'll get your money's worth out of them. I am sure Starling breed twice a year and stay loyal to the nest aswell, And sparrows can breed up to 4 times a year, I normally get 3 broods out of mine but I have also only had 2 broods in the past aswell. Happy new year to you and yours Matt, Stay safe! I believe you are Tier 4 aren't you? Liverpool is now tier 3 but we will be joining you in that Tier 4 in the next week or 2 Unless Boris gets his act together and just shuts the full country down including schools until they are rolling the vaccines out at a high level. Won't hold my breath though, Tier 5 or 6 be added before then!
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