Today there was lots of activity in our nest box cam. Lots of coming and going. It seems that whichever bird made a preliminary visit to the box thought it was a promising enough location to bring its mate along for a viewing.
The birds carried out a very thorough inspection and one (presumably the female) seemed to test it out for size by sitting on the floor as though sitting on a nest and fluffing out her feathers.
Other than the main visits lots of tiny heads popped in through the hole. The question
is was it always the same pair or is there a competition developing?
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And yet more inspections. Is it the same blue tit each time?
Lots of activity again today. Several visits by blue tits (always blue tits even though we have great tits in the garden too). Each time they really checked out the facilities. Maybe they are measuring up to decide how much nesting material they will need. We are left wondering whether it is the same pair of birds that keep coming to have another viewing or whether the visitors are different birds. Just hope that at least one pair decides to move in.
Lots of activity again today. More of the same really lots of popping in and out and giving the interior a good going over.
More of the same again today really lots of popping in and out and giving the interior a good going over. One bird fluttered around the floor of the box looking as though it was testing the size for when the young try to spread their wings. It fluttered in all directions including a diagonal path across the box. The blackbirds in the garden were collecting nesting material today, perhaps our blue tits might notice too and take a hint.
More inspection visits again today. Today one bird seemed to pay particular attention to the entrance hole. It sat looking out and seemed to be pecking around the outside edge of the hole. Still don’t know whether the same birds keep coming back but surely if that was the case by now they would have decided on whether the box fit the bill or not.
More inspection visits again over the last couple of days and seemingly lots of measuring up using wingspans!
There didn’t seem to be much progress whilst we were away in Cumbria but on Monday
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Our little blue tit was up and away at the crack of dawn. It seemed to become more restless as the time for daybreak approached. More nesting material was brought to the box during the day and it now looks as though serious nest building is taking place. Another night was spent roosting in the nest box.
Once again our little blue tit was up and away at the crack of dawn. It does seem to settle ready to roost quite early maybe worn out from the day’s activities. It spends much of the day arranging and rearranging the moss that it has brought into the box.
The blue tit trying to make a start on nest building is presumably female. She just can’t decide whether she is keen on using straw or not!
The blue tit spends lots of time checking every nook and cranny of the nest box. She seems to favour large clumps of moss for nest building which she pushes into position using her head!
Still lots of shifting nesting material around -
Today our busy little blue tit had an encouraging visit from her mate.