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Post by pete11 on Jun 3, 2021 13:02:18 GMT
matt You're not wrong! Maybe the pair visiting my nestbox are inexperienced and a bit clueless?
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Post by springtime 66 on Jun 3, 2021 13:30:58 GMT
Sure looks keen with the box, like you say they are taking their time to decide to nest Hope something happens soon for your box
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Post by pete11 on Jun 3, 2021 14:08:37 GMT
Just witnessed another fairly long visit as I was looking out at the garden - but it looked very much as if it was only one bird. It was hopping about all over the lower branches of the tree calling out with that distinctive Great tit "teacher teacher" (wikipedia reckons this call "is used in proclaiming ownership of a territory"?) Then popping into the box, then out again, then calling with a slightly different call. Maybe I was seeing two birds taking turns? Whilst inside the box there were some definite mini-shuffles, not quite the full wriggle but looked as if it really wanted to.
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Post by pete11 on Jun 7, 2021 22:35:05 GMT
Visits from my GT pair seem to have fizzled out completely over the past couple of days. Oh well, never mind!
By contrast, the Robins have become very busy indeed today, coming and going to/from the ivy. My theory is the female has been incubating for the past couple of weeks as I've only seen one Robin visiting occasionally during this time and I assume that's been the male feeding the female on the nest. Given the sudden spike in activity with both parents now doing the rounds today I'm guessing one or more eggs have hatched. This is all conjecture as I can't see anything of the nest as it's so buried away in the ivy. Might try hanging around nearby and listening closely for sounds!
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Post by YorksherLass on Jun 11, 2021 11:45:59 GMT
Pete, if you're right about a few robin eggs hatching, yes I would try to keep watching as you may be very lucky one day to see the chicks fly off - but they don't hang around for long!
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Post by pete11 on Jun 19, 2021 4:36:45 GMT
Robins really busy now coming and going from the nest. Lovely to see them so close to the house - they're so preoccupied with feeding...must be some hungry chicks somewhere in the ivy. Haven't heard any noises though. Guessing it must be fledging time fairly soon.
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Post by pete11 on Jun 20, 2021 16:07:42 GMT
Correction: I *can* hear noises of chicks each time a parent returns. They're really working hard now. Coming back with all sorts of delicacies including spiders and at one point today an enormous thing that I assume was a moth - the size of a hunk of bread, but with legs! If I bought some mealworms now I suspect they'd take them from my hand.
Just one thing missing: a camera! I so nearly installed a robin box with a camera pretty much exactly where they've chosen to nest right now. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I'll definitely install one here this autumn ready for next year.
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Post by pete11 on Jun 21, 2021 19:01:57 GMT
Sad to report I found one dead robin chick on the lawn just now. It didn't look developed enough to be a fledgling. We haven't seen the parent birds at all today. With no noises coming from the ivy I decided to have a closer look - sure enough I found the nest ... It's empty. It looks hardly big enough to accommodate anything the size of the dead chick I found, so it's hard to imagine there being a whole brood in there. I'm guessing it was either predated by something (magpie? cat?), or the rest of the brood fledged today despite the rain, and the under-developed dead one I found was just an unfortunate late developer who didn't make it. Here's the nest:
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Post by sammi on Jun 25, 2021 17:24:34 GMT
Sad news for that chick Pete. I hope it's as you say just one that didn't make it. I had a robin nest that was predated by something and the whole nest was dragged out of the box. I'd say if it looks undisturbed then the chicks have fledged safely.
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Post by pete11 on Jun 28, 2021 22:12:17 GMT
Thanks sammi I like to think you're right and that the other chicks fledged ok. We can but hope!
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Post by pete11 on Jul 21, 2021 22:27:12 GMT
Got a very odd looking Great tit roosting overnight in my box now, for the past 10 days.... it looks to have lost almost all its feathers on its head. Wondering if this is a result of a fight, or disease, or something else? Anyone any ideas?
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Post by springtime 66 on Jul 24, 2021 10:03:05 GMT
Poor thing he does look strange without feathers I don’t know the correct answer to that but I’m sure it’s with one of them Hope he keeps visiting so you can see any growth in time
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Post by pete11 on Aug 5, 2021 19:01:30 GMT
Pleased to report the same Great Tit has been roosting in the box every night since my last post. It seems to have grown back its head feathers now, too, although still looks on the scrawny side. Comes to the box around 8pm and leaves at around 5.30pm each day.
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Post by matt on Aug 7, 2021 22:04:57 GMT
Nice one Pete - could be promising for next season! All a bit quiet on here until things start to liven up in the autumn, but we'll be back!
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