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.
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 |
the first two eggs |
three eggs |
four eggs |
28th April |
30th April |
1st May |
1st May |
Breakfast in bed |
seven eggs |
eight eggs |
More food for mum from an attentive dad |
| 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
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