merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on May 27, 2021 21:21:53 GMT
Hi everyone. We had no birds nesting in either of our boxes last year. We had replaced the back box with a new one with better camera but no luck. We weren't expecting anything much this year as the weeks went past.
However, we turned on our front box camera and saw a female great tit bringing in nesting material 2 days ago. Tonight she has started roosting in the nestbox. I am wondering whether this is the pair which used to nest in our back box as she trills to the male when she is in the box, something we've not seen/heard in any of our other nsters over the years. I also wonder whether this is a 2nd attempt for this season. In 2019 they laid another clutch a day after their first chicks fledged and in the same nest.
Hoping they have clicked with some better weather over the next weeks!
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Post by springtime 66 on May 28, 2021 8:50:38 GMT
Hi Meryl It’s certainly been a very different season for the birds and all the confusion with the weather. Will they won’t they nest in our boxes when we keep having visits and a glimmer of hope which turns out to be no nest I’m waiting on a pr of great tits on a second brood that our about my garden and have had one nest in local habitat Ive not seen them picking up nesting material they are busy feeding the young up in the trees Maybe the warm weather will help and you will get a nest from the great tits fingers crossed
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Post by matt on May 28, 2021 13:00:36 GMT
Good luck Meryl! I think just about anything can happen this year!
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Post by sammi on May 28, 2021 14:19:42 GMT
Gosh Meryl what a lovely surprise to get Keep us updated please. I have no nest this year so I'm relying on everyone else for my nest fix
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Post by springtime 66 on May 28, 2021 14:44:19 GMT
Hi sammi I’m in the same position as you I have to get my fix off the forum
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merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on May 28, 2021 20:10:20 GMT
She's in again tonight and brought in fur (from our cats and which I'd left on the hedge) during the day. Is looking hopeful!
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Post by hfriel on May 29, 2021 8:12:11 GMT
Hi Meryl, sounds like the start of serious nest building
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merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on May 29, 2021 8:51:41 GMT
Looks like there is at least one egg in there this morning, possibly two. She is a fast worker.
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Post by pete11 on May 29, 2021 10:14:25 GMT
That's great news. Very pleased for you!
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Post by matt on May 29, 2021 12:53:37 GMT
Looks like there is at least one egg in there this morning, possibly two. She is a fast worker. That is some fast work right there! How long from first material until first egg?
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Post by Taz on May 29, 2021 13:24:27 GMT
Fantastic news, they are fast when they're on a mission
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merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on May 31, 2021 6:42:22 GMT
Looks like there is at least one egg in there this morning, possibly two. She is a fast worker. That is some fast work right there! How long from first material until first egg?
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merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on May 31, 2021 6:45:00 GMT
Not sure as there was moss in the nest when we turned on the camera but she had laid an egg by the next morning. We think there are possibly 4 eggs in there.
If it's the same bird as 2 years ago then she had laid an egg in her nest on the morning after her 5 chicks had fledged and went on to raise about 7 more I think. She doesn't hang around!
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 31, 2021 8:56:30 GMT
Brilliant news Meryl
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Post by YorksherLass on Jun 1, 2021 9:33:52 GMT
Meryl, what a lovely surprise for you! If she has laid 4 eggs already she certainly is a very fast worker & hopefully more to come.
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merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on Jun 1, 2021 10:29:51 GMT
She has laid 5 eggs and is now brooding them. Looks like this is a second attempt with a smaller clutch.
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Post by YorksherLass on Jun 1, 2021 10:34:56 GMT
again Meryl - lovely piccie of the 5 eggs & thanks for the update.
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merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on Jun 2, 2021 8:18:28 GMT
She has laid another egg, making 6. I thought she had stopped as she started brooding them!
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Post by matt on Jun 2, 2021 8:38:20 GMT
Might be the last one now then, Meryl, if she started sitting yesterday? Great effort anyway!
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Post by suep on Jun 2, 2021 12:49:51 GMT
Wow, this is fantastic Meryl, so lovely to see and hear about. Sue
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merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on Jun 3, 2021 9:58:47 GMT
Have looked this morning and she has now laid 7 eggs - 2 of them after brooding for 2 days. Is this usual? I worry the 2 latest will be at a big disadvantage to the others..
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Post by Taz on Jun 3, 2021 15:45:00 GMT
That's normal, she probably wasn't fully incubating for both days. The chicks will be a bit smaller, but providing there's enough food around they'll catch up. Two of mine hatched nearly two days after the first, but you couldn't really tell one they were ready to go 🤞
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merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on Jun 13, 2021 13:27:49 GMT
The first chick has hatched this afternoon. Seems to be only 9 days after she started brooding properly which is shorter than usual.
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Post by matt on Jun 14, 2021 10:38:54 GMT
Everything is on fast forward in this nest Meryl! Maybe the warmer weather played a part as well?
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merylt
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by merylt on Jun 14, 2021 12:24:35 GMT
We have 4 chicks with 3 eggs left. The 4th hatched this morning, a day after the other three chicks. Both parents feeding them. The last 3 eggs seemed to be laid after she had started brooding so they might be infertile or else perhaps they will hatch in the next few days..
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