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The late shift

Moss has continued to go in and come out of our Camera Nestbox all week. I really didn’t think I had any more to add from my last update. I was late looking in on the Nestbox tonight and really I was only expecting to see more or less moss than this morning. However I was in for a surprise.

We had a late shift working in our Nestbox! Our blue tit female was in and out and in and out. Moss did come and go as usual but there was a great deal of inspection going on. We have been out all day but in our absence she has been very busy indeed. I watched her try a shuffle or two but the material is now too bouncy for her – she really hasn’t got the knack of this shuffling!


Seven-thirty passed and she was still in and out. Eight o’clock passed and she was still visiting. Yes, tonight she was clearly pondering over something. A long strand of dry grass was getting in her way. She tugged and tugged at it. She couldn’t find an end. She turned her back on it and went in to a corner. Yep… she was considering roosting in the box tonight.

Nope… this grass just had to go! Once again she tried to get it out. It wrapped around her almost tying her up. She bounced on the surface of the nest. She jumped up to the entrance hole with it only to be pulled back in caught up in it. She stopped every so often. Poor little soul was tired now. I bet she now thought of abandoning roosting here tonight. One more try… and the grass was out.

It was 8.20pm and finally the quite obviously tired little blue tit finally settled into the corner of the Nestbox where this piece of grass had been stuck. She didn’t waste anymore time and quite quickly tucked herself in for the night. I am guessing birds don’t dream which is quite fortunate in this case.


So tomorrow… I wonder if we will see the nest cup finally formed and see her start bringing in the softer material. I have put some nesting material out in a small hanging basket for her as I did for the birds last year. It is also hanging on the same hook beside a small tree. I do hope there will be some left for her as, just like last year, a jackdaw is going away with huge clumps -heading straight to my neighbours chimney with it!!

Finally, I have now seen starlings and blackbirds collecting pieces of nesting material from the borders especially around my ornamental grasses. Yep… the 2008 nesting season has officially kicked off in my area of Perthshire!

The photos above were taken in my camera nestbox on April 20th 2008.

9 thoughts on “The late shift

  1. What fun to watch the building of the nest. I would love to have a camera for our wren boxes. The boxes are so small though I wonder if a camera would work.

    Our little wrens are having trouble deciding on which box to use. I have several up.

    The Carolina Wrens didn’t nest in our garden this spring. They had babies by this time last year. This year they nested elsewhere. I figure it is because the pine trees are gone. It has really changed the habitat in our garden.

    I also wonder if the House Wrens do a ‘shuffle’ on their pile of sticks. Hmmmmm I know they go into the boxes even when they are empty. Maybe that is when they shuffle.

  2. What a great post! And, with all that nesting material being supplied, it sounds like you have become the nesting birds’ version of Home Depot.
    Carol
    terranovadesign.blogspot.com

  3. I think it’s so exciting to be able to have such a bird’s eye view! I’ll be following the new lodgers with interest!

  4. So lovely to be bird voyeurs and watch this process. I’m really glad you put that camera up and share the results with us.

  5. Great update Shirl, I am sure I can hear baby birds from my conservatory window when I am taking photos, just hope this cold spell hasn’t done them any harm. Mike.

  6. Hi again Lisa, Carol, Nancy, Mo, Jodi and Mike 😀

    Lisa – It is, especially when the nest it so close being just through the wall and above my head as I sit and type this. I would guess you would have to put some sort of ‘extension’ on you Nestbox to house a camera but I’m sure it could be done. I am certain that you would enjoy having one. Sorry to hear you haven’t had the wrens nest this year. As for the shuffle I am certain that the wren will have some sort of version so it can form the nest cup to lay eggs. Of course if you had a camera you could show us 😀 😀

    Carol – Thank-you! lol – I never thought of that 😀

    Nancy – It is, it really is. The most exciting part this year, if all goes to plan, will be to see the chicks grow past one week – it will all be new to us then too:-D

    Mo – Thank-you, it really is a fantastic opportunity to see inside a Nestbox especially one in your own garden 😀

    Jodi – It is however, as we found out last year, it isn’t all happy images you can see. However, the birds do tend to lay more eggs to allow for losses. I am wishing for no losses at all this year – a very full house 😀

    Mike – Thanks, it is difficult to do updates when things are going forward and then back again. By May things should get much more interesting. I hope your baby birds have survived it is tricky when the weather changes so much just now 🙂

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