The blue tits in the patio nest box have been really busy over the last few days and built just about the whole nest! Yesterday, they started bringing in softer materials after half filling the nest chamber with moss!
You can follow the story of this nest box on the dedicated page on my website HERE
I recognised the hair and fluff from my nesting dispenser quad. I had made this a few weeks ago out of four fat bar feeders wired together. (See how to make a range of nesting dispensers HERE) I had put a different material in each compartment. and then mounted it on my arbour. It did not take the birds long to discover it and I cold see they were removing materials as stands had been pulled from the mesh.
I set the adapted Bushnell HD up in front of it, hoping to capture some of the visitors….. (make sure you watch it in HD!!!)
I had also been getting a lovely pair of chaffinch visitors to my ladle feeder (another kitchen utensil finding a new use in the garden). I was really pleased with this capture on the adapted HD Bushnell…
Today, the nesting activity has quietened down a little. A few peeks in the other nest boxes and a few feathers and softer materials added to the patio box. The jackdaws have been eyeing up the squirrel box and were chasing the squirrels from the tree near it this morning. I also saw a jackdaw pair sitting in my kestrel box in the oak tree. I had taken the camera down from here about 6 months ago after trying it on a possible fox den. If there is a possibility that they might use this box, I thought I had better put the cam back up there. Luckily, I had left all the brackets in place so it was not too long before the camera was back in place… just in case. I daren’t have any boxes in this garden without a camera on as I know that if I do, then that is the box the birds will use!
I also removed the camera from the long tailed tit’s nest. Sadly, they changed their mind and, after virtually finishing this wonderful nest, they then proceeded to take it apart and disappear off further away with the materials. I tried to follow them, to no avail. I was really hoping to follow this family on my live cameras… but that’s nature for you…. unpredictable!