2010 update
9th May 2010. We have nesting great tits, but the nest is (unusually) built in the corner of the nest box and only a tiny portion of the nest cup is visible on camera, so I have no pictures for you to view, but there are some chicks that can be seen every so often. Not sure how many though! Dave Hall at daviv.com has the same Handykam colour camera that I now use so you might like to visit his website and see what I'm also missing. The Handykam colour camera is reviewed on this page.
Blue tit nest box diary - 2006
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 2006 |
10th March 2006 |
10th March 2006 |
21st March 2006 |
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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 2006 |
23rd March 2006 |
28th March 2006 |
28th March 2006 |
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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 2006 |
2nd April 2006 |
6th April 2006 |
9th April 2006 |
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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 2006 |
25th April 2006 |
26th April 2006 |
27th April 2006 |
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This is how to
'feather your nest'! |
the first two eggs |
three eggs |
four eggs |
28th April 2006 |
30th April 2006 |
1st May 2006 |
1st May 2006 |
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Breakfast in bed
(one spider) |
seven eggs |
eight eggs |
More food for mum from an attentive dad |
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5th May 2006:- 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
| | Building a wildlife pond
|
