2014 update - (28th April)

We have a female great tit who has made a nest in one of our nest boxes. This is the first time that we have had nesting birds for a number of years. Sadly a change of computer means that none of my video or WinTV capture cards will work with the new computer and the USB 'EasyCap' video capture device does not work with Windows 8! In the past I have enabled video streaming from the nest box to the Internet, but sadly I will not be able to do that this year.

Blue tit nest box diary from a previous year

The computer records the birds' visits to the nest box in our absence via motion detection software. Unfortunately it doesn't produce this web page. That's still down to me!

Click on any of the individual images below for a much larger view. Scroll for more diary entries. All eight chicks fledged on June 6th, (the last at 9:39) so the nest box webcam is now off-line.

These pictures are from a low resolution camera (not from my new HANDYKAM camera)

3rd March	10th March	10th March	21st March
The first captured image for this season	First picture of the potential nesters	Checking out the box with outspread wings	Fingers crossed that this box will be used.

23rd March	23rd March	28th March	28th March
It's still only 3 degrees outside, but this is no deterrent to nest building.		Cold, wet and windy, all day. Maybe this is the best place to be!	This must be better than roosting outside.

30 March	2nd April	6th April	9th April
Settling down for the night at 19:34.	The nest looks virtually complete ...	... but still the material comes in!	The nest is away from the entrance.

Birds are like human parents, i.e. some are better than others, so it can be quite stressful when you have a bird box camera. You soon become very concerned about the birds' welfare when the box is unoccupied for long periods. This not paranoia; those who have bird box cameras will all agree with this!

Click on any of the individual images below for a much larger view.

16th April	25th April	26th April	27th April
This is how to 'feather your nest'!	the first two eggs	three eggs	four eggs

28th April	30th April	1st May	1st May
Breakfast in bed (one spider)	seven eggs	eight eggs	More food for mum from an attentive dad

5th May:- Now that the eggs are all laid it's incubation time. Mum will stay in the nest keeping the eggs warm whilst dad will (hopefully) bring her food every now and again! This is a good time to be thinking of ordering some mini mealworms for when the chicks are born. Last year they were able to swallow mini mealworms from the outset, whereas the standard mealworms are initially just too big. Based on past experience, the first chicks will hatch on about 15th May.

| Go to the next page - The first pictures of the chicks |

| Sparrow terrace - build a bird box for up to 3 pairs of house sparrows |
| Sparrow terrace - the cutting plan |