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Post by WildlifePaul on May 22, 2023 16:02:28 GMT
I believe Matt also has a nest in his three hole box (might be wrong), this tells me manufacturers should get in to making these (a friend made mine) because the birds obviously like them. Sooooo excited, but don’t know which box will fledge first. Whoopppeeee Sue Oops missed this one before Sue! Yes, I have 2 x 3 hole boxes, one was used last year by bluetits and the other is being used this year, so they do seem to like them alright! There is one commercial one I think, the German make who's name I can't remember.. but I think not super easy to fit a camera in (although keen to hear from anyone who has). Watch this space Matt, Sue was was kinda enough to send me her 3 hole lucky box a few weeks back and i'll be rigging it for a camera for next year. seen this guy managed it so want to give it a shot
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Post by Ann70 on May 22, 2023 17:53:52 GMT
I would be very interested in owning a wooden 3 hole nest box if anyone knows where I can get one from for next season I will try researching it myself 😊
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Post by suep on May 22, 2023 19:09:42 GMT
Don’t know anyone that makes wooden 3 hole boxes Ann. I got a friend to make mine. One thing that would work is you get these wooden ones with removable panel so you can use it as a Robin box or a blue tit box. Maybe the panel with the hole in could be adapted to have three holes - just a thought. Maybe not wide enough as not measured. My friend made mine with the measurements from my woodcrete one.
Really think someone should make these.
By the way Matt, the German maker is Schwegler - if that’s the one you are thinking of (there’s are the woodcrete ones ) or is there another one?!
Sue
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SueP 2023
May 22, 2023 19:12:48 GMT
via mobile
Post by Ann70 on May 22, 2023 19:12:48 GMT
Thanks for the info I only want a wooden one I will look around but t I think a normal box want be bigger enough for 3 holes
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Post by suep on May 22, 2023 19:34:37 GMT
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 22, 2023 21:41:07 GMT
I think you and the hubby set up a side business Sue, 3 hole wooden boxes! "Boxes from the balcony" the company can be called
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Post by suep on May 22, 2023 22:44:55 GMT
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Post by suep on May 23, 2023 14:59:56 GMT
Well the chicks are certainly moving around a lot more and giving parents the run around . Two little chicks in the corner worried me for a time but they did get a feed at the end of the video - phew. Sue
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Post by pete11 on May 24, 2023 11:22:40 GMT
Great video Sue! Lovely double visit and I can see how handy it is for them having more than one entrance/exit route. Those chicks are right out of the cup aren't they! My lot have seemed to take a lot longer to venture out beyond the cup.
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Post by suep on May 24, 2023 13:12:19 GMT
Getting a bit concerned about the food being brought I for the chicks now. Throughout today I have seen nothing except what looks like lumps of fat coming in. The chicks are all lively but very worrying that they are getting no live food - especially when I am supplying and they are ignoring. However, one little chick is getting curious about outside…..
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Post by Ann70 on May 24, 2023 14:13:28 GMT
Oh Sue Getting stronger and adventurous how cute 😊 Hope he doesn’t leave to early at least they are on your balcony
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Post by suep on May 25, 2023 7:19:50 GMT
Well I now have a dilemma and I’m not quite sure what to do. My bluetits have been ignoring the mealworms and waxworms that are on the balcony beneath their box BUT this morning a great tit has started coming and taking them. This has really upset my blue tits who are sending out warning cries etc. I have moved the meal worms etc to the other end of the balcony so if the great tit is brave enough it can still find them to feed its family but it is as far away from my blue tits as I can get it. Should I take them away altogether? Or should I let the great tit (may be the one from the nest box in the garden) have access.?? Just don’t know what to do for the best. Any thoughts ? Sue
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Post by pete11 on May 25, 2023 8:58:57 GMT
Tricky one. I'd be tempted to take them away altogether - I stopped putting mealworms out as they just seemed to attract magpies - admittedly that's no doubt mainly because I didn't have a proper small-bird-only feeder.
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 25, 2023 11:36:23 GMT
Cant you move it closer to the GT nest Sue?
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Post by suep on May 25, 2023 13:57:29 GMT
Thanks Pete and Paul. Well it was upsetting my bluetits so much I have taken the mealworms away for the moment. Paul, the other box is in the communal garden and we are not allowed to feed birds at all - hence I have been doing it discreetly on the balcony where no-one else can see. Clever great tit spotted them though!!!. Feel so mean taking them away but mine aren’t even looking at them and these are ‘my’ babies so they take priority. . I am going to walk down and discreetly drop some near the great tit box each day in the hope they will spot them. If my blue tits fledge in the next day or so as they should then I will place some back on the balcony in the hope that it will still help this great tit family out. Talk about split loyalties. Sue
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Post by pete11 on May 25, 2023 16:55:17 GMT
That sounds like a plan to me - means the GTs will get some mealworms eventually. Plus if the BTs are doing ok without them, then presumably they're just a bonus for the GTs anyway. Caterpillar supply seems v good this year.
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Post by suep on May 26, 2023 12:33:39 GMT
Well I have one fledged at 10:40 this morning, landed no further than my balcony. Mum and dad are continuing to feed the ones in the box but have been nowhere near the one that has fledged. It is calling and calling and breaking my heart. Not sure how long it will last if parents don’t soon give it a feed. Will post more later. Sue
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Post by Ann70 on May 26, 2023 13:15:45 GMT
Oh dear sure you will find parents will come to the rescue It’s a worrying time for you sue You will be relieved when they have all fledged safely. 😊
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Post by suep on May 26, 2023 14:16:22 GMT
Oh dear sure you will find parents will come to the rescue It’s a worrying time for you sue You will be relieved when they have all fledged safely. 😊 I will Ann, the rest still in the box. I think this little one was a bit too brave or foolish. It is now hidden behind a flowerpot out of the sun thankfully, but mum and dad don’t seem to be able to find it. I think they are now looking but don’t know how they can’t find it. What happens when they are all over the place in the trees etc if they can’t even find one on a balcony? Worrying. Sort of wish a couple of others would join it so mum and dad find it. Sue Too busy keeping my eye on things to upload pics at moment.
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 26, 2023 14:36:42 GMT
Sue, Can't you pick it up and pop it back into the box through the entrance hole? Or are they actually ready to fledge anyway?
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Post by Ann70 on May 26, 2023 15:15:15 GMT
I would do what Paul suggests at least it will be safe again and get fed. ☘️🤞🏻🤞🏻😊
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Post by sammi on May 27, 2023 6:37:05 GMT
Hi Sue I haven't been able to post much but this morning I have time with no other distractions I was so happy about your surprise great tit nest. I once returned a chick to the nest box successfully when if seemed the best thing to do. I hope the little early fledger survives and that the others fledge successfully. What a worry they are to us these lovely little creatures. I am away from home at the moment staying with relatives and I miss seeing the birds in my garden Good luck and I hope all goes well.
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Post by suep on May 27, 2023 12:05:31 GMT
Thank you all for your comments/suggestions, unfortunately yesterday is a day I would rather forget. I was so intent on watching the little blue tit fledgling to see if parents found it or fed it , and make sure I could find it that I didn’t get back to read comments on here so completely missed Paul’s suggestion which would have been the wisest thing. However, having always read ‘leave alone as long as it is safe’, I was battling with my conscience as to what I should do. I decided to keep watching the parents and a couple of times thought they were looking for it so thought best to leave alone. We were due to go out in the evening and it was something we couldn’t change. I begrudgingly agreed that we would have go and decided if the chick was still there on our return then I would pop it in the box overnight for safe keeping. At that time I was sure the parents had spotted it when a second and third chick fledged successfully. Whether they were intent on the ones now out of the box I don’t know but on our return the first fledgling had died . I am mortified and will forever regret not ‘doing something’. It will be on my conscience forever. On a happier note we have 7 out of 8 fledglings now in the big wide world. I learnt from my mistake of yesterday and when two more landed on the balcony this morning and started hiding I quickly picked them up and put them on the balcony wall. They sat there watching the trees and listening to the birds around for a couple of minutes and then almost in unison they flew off perfectly and landed in a tree where I had seen their siblings land. The first fledglings timings were yesterday 10:40, 17:30 and 18:37. Todays went at 05:20 (yes I was sat in the cold on the balcony from 5am - just couldn’t sleep ), 05:40, 06:30, 08:00 and 08:01. I am exhausted. Not the news I wanted to share but hopefully these seven will survive and boost the blue tit population. I will now be able to focus on the great tits who are collecting the mealworms that my blue tits chose to ignore. I will now try to upload a couple of videos that might make you smile. Sue
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Post by suep on May 27, 2023 12:19:09 GMT
Epic fail at fledging.
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Post by suep on May 27, 2023 12:49:46 GMT
Here is where a box with more than one hole comes into its own. Sorry about the video being dark and the break up in the middle (think i must have knocked the camera whilst reaching for my cuppa to keep me warm at that unearthly hour)
Will put up a couple of photos later but will try not to bore you all. Sue
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