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Bird Boxes project - Diary
pages - 12th April 2008
There are now three other people helping me carry out the surveys this season. On weekdays Steve, Jane & Pauline are carring out surveys for me/the reserve in zones 2-11. The survey results pages have been ammended and now include their survey results.
Each Monday the results pages will be updated and split into two sections. The pages will display the results from the Saturday survey and also the weekly survey. I would like to say thanks to them all for helping me carry out these surveys.
Harry Lowder has created a new design Blue Tit box, from a piece of pipe. One of his designed boxes was installed into zone 11 last week by Steve (The Warden). Zone 11 is now being surveyed each week and so far no visits to this new box have been observed.
In a special update (issued 10th April) I mentioned that another Robins nest had been found in Zone 1, on Thursday. During todays survey the nest was checked, from a distance, and more material has been added. Sadly we did not see the female Robin come to the nestbox, but the male could be heared calling nearby.
The other Robins nest, in Zone 2, is now complete. Checking for a distance we discovered the Robin was not in the box and quickly checked inside. So far no eggs have been laid, but we did manage to take a quick photo (see below or in the gallery).
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Robins nest in Zone 2 - April 2008 |
During one of Jane's surveys she observed a pair of Nuthatch's going into one of the Blue Tit boxes. During our survey on Saturday we also saw a pair going in and out of this box. The female is now spending a lot of time in the box and it appears she has choosen the box for her nest/brood this year. Over the next few weeks will be adding some video clips of the Nuthatch box for you all to see.
During the survey on Saturday five more boxes were found to be in use. In Zone 4 a Robin box has now some moss and other nesting material in. During the Saturday survey I observed a pair of Blue Tits come to the box on a number of occasions. They did not enter but kept hopping onto the edge. Are the Blue Tits using this box to nest in?
During a survey by Pauline a pair of Great Tits were seen going into the other bird box close by (BT1). Before the surveys started I observed many Blue Tits checking out this box (BT1). It is possble that the Great Tits have claimed the box and forced the Blue Tits to go elsewhere. Did they move to the Robin box. We are not sure and will see how thing progress. Blue Tits are known to nest in the most odd places!
Another Robins nest was found during the survey. The nest is not in any of the boxes put up but located in a tree, in the Kitchen Gardens area. So far four eggs have been laid. I also observed the male Robin feeding the female. Sadly I did not have the video camera with me to film it.
Hopefully the weather will now improve, but the forecast is not looking good with some heavy showers or more rain forecast. Last year the weather was so wet for a long time that many of the bugs and caterpillars, needed by the Blue & Great Tits, were in short supply. Will the weather cause problems for the Blue Tit & Great Tit this year?
More in the next diary update.
Ben
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