Bird Boxes

Hello Patrick

 

I made my second round of visits to the boxes this morning.

 

The weather was far from ideal, but I’m not around now until

next Wednesday so it had to be today. Luckily I managed to get

round before the rain finally arrived in earnest.

 

The situation is generally good, and certainly better than the last two years.

 

Of the 29 small boxes, 18 now have young at various stages of development.

Only one of these boxes is in poor shape with a single great tit pullus with at least one

dead underneath. I fear that too will perish before my next visit.

There are a minimum of 71 blue tits, 34 great tits and 7 coal tits in these

18 boxes - better stock up on the bird seed!

 

One great tit seems to have deserted the eggs in one of the boxes, although

I will not be totally sure until my next visit.

 

Two of the boxes have been predated - both blue tits which were on eggs 2 weeks ago.

These boxes had holes in the bottom and one had been attacked around the entrance hole.

I suspected squirrels initially but later I disturbed a great spotted woodpecker trying to drill

a hole in the bottom of another blue tit box.  One of the parent birds was in the box,

and sitting tight. I’m afraid the woodpecker will certainly return to complete the job

so we can expect that box to fail.

 

Five boxes have nest material but I feel that only 2 of these are likely to be completed. One

of these had no nest material 2 weeks ago, the only open-fronted box on the course.

That looks to be a robin.

 

I can confirm that tree bees have taken over one of the boxes.

 

That leave only 2 boxes where there has been no activity at all. That is quite remarkable.

 

The tits are very busy feeding young now so it is to be hoped they can get through the

next few days of wet weather without too many casualties.

 

Until my next visit!

 

bye for now

 

Alan