Saturday 31 December 2011

WARM DECEMBER

December has been completely different to last year and sometimes during the month it resembled spring; so much so that some of the plants in the garden started producing flowers and a few tress around the house actually showed a few buds.

The odd cooler spell ensured these quickly stopped, but unless cold weather comes soon they'll start up again.

The forecast suggests colder weather is on the way, but will it be cold enough to make sure nature will refresh life.

I'm continuing to feed the birds, but I've still not seen many of the usual winter visitors to the offerings. Long tailed tits, chaffinches, wrens, great spotter woodpecker and jay are just a few of the winter sites I've become fond of seeing.

Instead it's the robins, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, dunnocks and sparrows (tree and house) that are feasting on the peanuts, seeds and fat balls.

This year started off with a very cold January and lots of snow, had a mild spring, a wet summer, a windy autumn and finished with a mild start to winter.

The great tits occupied the main nestbox (with camera) and raised a brood of eight chicks, all who fledged. How many have survived until now is anyone's guess - probably about three or four.

I've been keeping an eye on the nextbox through the camera and have not seen any activity - last winter various birds roosted there but I expect to see some if the really cold weather comes upon us.

Finally this year will be the last for the pond, as it makes way for a more child-friendly boggy area. Still it's another area of the garden that is wildlife friendly and I'll start work on that in a few weeks.

Saturday 26 November 2011

NOVEMBER WIND BUT WARMTH!

So the warm November continues and it's starting the have a spring-like effect on the wildlife in my garden.

One of the trees is showing signs of buds appearing it and this is while it still has golden brown leaves on it.

The number of birds in and around the garden is actually decreasing as it appears the natural food is still giving them more than enough food.

I'm still seeing birds, mainly blue tits, great tits, robins, dunnocks and tree sparrows, but not often and certainly not in big numbers as normally seen in November.

This time in 2010 the country was being battered by northerly winds and many areas were covered in snow.

The white stuff is not even on the Scottish mountains, never mind on lower levels.

I'm not sure that winter will even arrive next week, but when it does arrive my garden is ready for the invasion of hungry birds.

Sunday 20 November 2011

HAS FROSTY THE SNOWMAN FORGETTEN IT'S NOVEMBER?

The bird feeders have once again been filled up but they weren't even empty which is unusual for mid November.

The garden is still being visited by the usual characters of blue tits, great tits, tree sparrows, dunnocks, blackbirds and robins.

My weekly highlight was holding my daughter and watching her eyes light up and practically try to jump out of my arms with excitement as she watched a robin eat a worm from about two foot away.

She then waved as the bird flew off to digest the worm.

The lawn is covered with worm casts which I hope means the soil is getting a good working over by the worms and is going to provided us with a nice green, grassy lawn.

Although I'm looking forward to welcoming winter in the garden I'm enjoying the mild weather and hoping it helps make next year a great breeding season for all wildlife.

Will my next blog have a frosty glint? Tune in to find.

Sunday 13 November 2011

A HELPING HAND

I had some assistance today from my 16-month old daughter today when filling up the feeders. She didn't seem to understand exactly what was happening, but I waited with her to show her the birds when they started feeding - it took about 30 seconds!

Once the birds saw what was happening they appeared from nowhere and it shows they must be around waiting for the feeders to be refilled before descending to make the most of the free handout.

My daughter (Poppy) has even started to make 'tweet tweet' noises to copy her dad imitating the birds.

With the warmish weather continuing the variety if species visiting the garden isn't huge. Robins, great tits, blue tits, dunnocks and tree sparrows, but I'm left waiting to see the likes of chaffinches, long tailed tits and goldfinches. Even the blackbirds are proving scarce.

As November tumbles towards December I'm not alone in wondering when the cold weather will arrived and when is does, will it bring much of the white stuff?

I'm sure it won't be long for everyone to find out.

I'll be keeping an eye on the visitors to the garden and update when new visitors come and say hello.

Thursday 10 November 2011

SOME BIRDS ARE BACK

So the fat snacks have been out for over a week and the birds are starting to show interest.

A few blue tits, great tits and the odd robin have been feeding on the snacks, but the numbers of tree sparrows, dunnocks are higher.

I've seen about four to six tree sparrows on each visit, whereas the dunnocks come in similar numbers.

The house sparrows are also making the odd appearance, but I'm still waiting for the long tailed tits to come and take advantage of the snacks I've put out for them.

As autumn struggles to force cold weather on the UK, the birds appear to be content to continue feeding in the fields, hedgerows and woodlands around the house.

With further warm(ish) weather forecast for this weekend and early next week, I suspect I won't see an increase in the birds visiting my garden for a while.

It's good news for the birds and my family, but we all know the cold weather will come along and it's good for the birds to know there's a place to find food when necessary.

Finally the nestbox camera has been cleaned and adjusted. Now it's a case of waiting to see who comes along to make use of the nestbox for winter roosting.

Saturday 29 October 2011

FEEDERS ARE FULL BUT STILL NO BIRDS

Today I bought my first fat snacks of the winter for the birds.

It can still be relatively cheap (no pun) to by these snacks and the birds love them. The added benefit is any scrapes dropping on the floor can provide food for voles and birds that prefer to feed on the ground.

I use about ten snacks a week so costs about £8 a month to keep the birds with a constant supply.

Today I filled my feeders and felt I was being watched I as placed them around the garden. My feelings were right as the feeders were barely out of my grasp when a robin came to sample the delights.

The robin spent most of the afternoon nibbling on the snacks and was joined at various stages by a couple of great and blue tits.

I'm expecting more arrivals over the next few days, although the weather isn't too cold so the majority of birds do seem to be content with the food they can get in the fields and hedgerows.

Tomorrow I'll be spending a bit of time in the garden cleaning out the nestboxes so hope to catch a few different birds, including chaffinches, goldfinches, long tailed tits and tree sparrows.

More updates next week.

Tuesday 25 October 2011

AUTUMN IS IN ITS WAY

The chill of autumn cast an early white shadow on the lawn one morning last week, but the full version of the season is yet to show.

A mild autumn has meant many birds are yet to spend much time in the garden as the fields, hedgerows and woods are clearly providing enough food.

I did glimpse a flock of long tailed tits over the weekend briefly visiting the garden. I've seen them while on my bike around Frodsham Marsh but I'm looking forward to watching them flock around the peanut feeders in the garden.

Last year I counted over 15 in the garden at one time, so will they break the record this year and have a big number of youngsters from the breeding season? Only time will tell.

This week I've spotted a couple of jays around the lane and possibly the first fieldfare, although I was unable to confirm this as I was driving.

As November nears I'm hoping for a number of winter visitors, but will the elusive badgers from down the lane put in an appearance?

I'm hoping a spring and summer of teaching my daughter Poppy of the exciting aspect of nature watching will pay dividends as a new batch of garden visitors come to the garden.

On another note my birdbox camera will be cleaned this weekend and await the arrival of the first winter roosting birds.

More soon!

Thursday 6 October 2011

AUTUMN, WHAT AUTUMN?

Towards the end of August I watched as the swallows chattered excitedly on the telephone wires, probably sharing experiences of the migration to Africa with this year’s youngsters.

This year I counted over 30 which is almost double the amount I counted in 2010, obviously a good year.

I expected to see them fly before September, but apart from a few days with only a fleeting glimpse of them, most appeared to stay until after the recent big storm. Were they telling me something?

It would suggest so as the storm didn’t herald the start of autumn, merely that start of an Indian summer, which in turn appeared to be the catalyst for the swallows to depart.

As we basked in 30c and wall to wall sunshine, so the swallows made their exit and other animals made the most of a late harvest as blackberries ripened in the hedgerows and insects continued to flourish.

The weather has certainly helped my tomatoes ripen and also have a positive effect on my peppers, carrots and chillies.

In the last week I’ve had over 100 cherry tomatoes ripen and I’m expecting at least double that in the next week or so, despite the weather actually starting to behave like October.

The summer has been patchy at best, but it appears to have been good for the wildlife. The blackbirds have raised at least two broods, as have the robins.

I’ve recently heard the blue tits and watched a number of great tits on the feeders, some of which must be this year’s brood from the nestbox.

Talking of the nestbox, I’ve not see any activity in there since the great tits left in early summer and I’ll soon be clearing it out ready for any roosting birds over the winter.

The breeding birds of the summer have shown signs of fatigue as the end the post-chick raising moult, I even saw a male blackbird with a grey head, but this has gradually turned black again.

Finally my pond has helped form a place for a frog to spend time but has produced no tadpoles this year. This winter I’ll be filling it in as my daughter is now walking and exploring everywhere.

In its place I’ll continue the rockery and have a boggy wildlife area until such time as I can have the pond back.

Wednesday 22 June 2011

TOAD IN THE HOLE

Not the usual sausage in mash version, but an actual toad in a hole in our garden.

I noticed it last night while watering the plants in the greenhouse; I thought it was a mouse but it then appeared from the undergrowth.

It appeared to be wary of me, but not completely overwhelmed once it could see I meant it now harm.

The good news is the toad is still there tonight so is obviously enjoying our garden and I'm happy to welcome a new animal to the garden as it will eat slugs, snails and other animals that want to eat my plants!

I think I've worked out where the toad lives so will be keeping an eye out and updating the blog with further news.

This morning, after my daughter's 5am alarm call, I was able to watch some of the birds in and around our house and noticed another new bird.

A female blackcap was among a family of chiffchaffs, my returning great tits and a sole robin chick.

It was great to see and hear all the birds going about their daily routines and the families feeding together. The whole scene reminded me of my own family growing together and the early alarm call was soon forgotten.

Maybe I'll get up at 5am most days (during the summer) to see what else is happening in and around where we live.

Sunday 12 June 2011

IT'S RAINING ON MY PARADE

So this is 'flaming June'? I think not!

A day of constant rain has left the few garden visitors looking more bedraggled by the minute.

I'm sure the worms are not the only ones loving this weather. The reservoirs that needed a little drink along with rivers and farmers must be pleased.

This afternoon I watched a chiffchaff taking aphids from my blooming rose hedge, hoping he would stay around to eat all of them, but he stayed only for a few minutes.

A robin and blackbird then took advantage of the wet conditions bringing out all sizes of worms, although they took a soaking in the first place.

The next two days forecast warmer and drier weather and I'm hoping the plants, vegetables and fruit in my garden will benefit from today's soaking and have a growth surge this week.

Not much opportunity to see the swallows today, but I think the youngsters are near to fledging.

More updates later this week when I'm able to get out a bit more.

Thursday 2 June 2011

A NEW CHAPTER

And so after the great tit chicks fledged and the parents to the eight youngsters to explore the countryside around our house, we're left with an empty nestbox and the hope that the youngsters make it through the perils life will throw at them.

In the meantime my partner, Sarah, has now chosen to brighten our garden with her annual window box and hanging baskets display.

Every year she produces wonderful arrangements of colourful flowers brightening up our garden - you can see an example of this with one of my images on the main blog page.

This year she's had a little help from our daughter, Poppy, in the form of pointing and some early stage speaking - which doesn't make sense.

So the next chapter of this blog will feature the every growing hanging baskets and window box, along with the various plants, vegetables and fruit we have growing in the garden.

I'll be keeping an eye out on other wildlife, including a second brood for the blackbirds next door and the flocks of goldfinches in the surrounding fields.

To begin below is a picture of the hanging baskets and window box just minutes after they've been planted out.

Friday 27 May 2011

EMPTY NEST AS CHICKS FLEDGE

This day had been coming for a while, but it seems only yesterday when I got excited about seeing the first great tit eggs laid.

In just 40 days the female has laid eight eggs, incubated them and with the help of the male, raised eight healthy chicks to fledging. A remarkable achievement and one I was privileged to witness through the nestbox camera.

The activity inside a nest, den or lair as wildlife brings up their young was rarely seen by anyone, but now thanks to tiny cameras and extensive digital equipment, it is available to those of us who choose to witness a wonderful part of the circle of life.

I watched the great tit chicks from 5.30am yesterday morning, but still missed the first two fledging. I could see them in the nearby trees and hear the adults encouraging the others to leave the nest.

Three more made it out, before another fledged as I got into my car. One landed on next door's outside wall before joining the family in the trees.

Below is a series of images taken from 6.00am during the fledging. The final image is of the chick clinging to next door's house - it's just above the white brick in the centre of the screen.




When I returned home from work in the evening the nestbox was empty and I contemplated another 10 months with little activity.

But in a final twist I noticed last night a bird using the nestbox to roost (see below). I think it's one of the adult great tits, but I can only speculate as to why she it there.

My thinking is there's a possibility of a new brood, but I'd welcome people's opinions and expertise as I don't know.
I will of course check over the weekend and update my blog accordingly.

Tuesday 24 May 2011

OK, TIME TO GO, NOW!

I'm beginning to think the great tit chicks are like modern day children; living at home for longer and longer, not wanting to live a comfortable life.

Tonight they showed unruly behaviour as 'mum' was constantly cleaning the nest and ushering them towards the exit.


Unfortunately the warm(ish) weather and hints from their parents couldn't get the chicks to shift.

Will the fledge tomorrow? I'll be up earlier than usual to find out and hopefully see a fledging, if it indeed does happen!

Sunday 22 May 2011

TOO WINDY TO FLEDGE?

The great tit chicks are still in the nestbox, despite often standing on top of each other peering out of the hole.

The weather today has been windy and with wet and very windy promised for tomorrow, I suspect it won't be the best day to fledge.

Perhaps they will wait until Tuesday, but my guess on when the fledging will take place has not been exactly accurate, so I'll now adopt a 'see what happens' attitude.

The parents are still bringing in lots of food and I've noticed more and more green caterpillars being brought which makes me think there's plenty of them.

I'm hoping the chicks will wait til I get home before fledging! Come back tomorrow night to see if they d0.

Saturday 21 May 2011

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Two days after I thought the great tit chicks would fledge, they are still in the nest, almost bursting out of the entrance hole.


Yesterday (Friday) the chicks were once again very active early in the morning (see video) but the weather doesn't seem quite right for the to fledge. Either that or a comfy home with food brought by a waiter and waitress (mum and dad) is too good to leave.

The most amusing time is at night when the mother great tit tries to keep the chicks warm be lying on top of them, although she's merely balancing on their heads! (see below pic)


And so with a warm sunny morning I was expecting the chicks to fledge today, so took this picture (below) in case it was the last chance.

But as I spent time in the garden it became clear that the parents were continually feeding the chicks, who seemed quite content to be fed while enjoying the May sunshine peering into the nestbox.

I left them for most of the day, due to various circumstances, returning to find them being fed and tonight watch as they sleep on top of each other. Nine birds in a small nestbox does make amusing viewing.

Will this image be the same tomorrow or will it empty. Surely they must fledge but with a cooler, fresher day and wet and windy weather on Monday, could they stay put for a few more days? Stay tuned.

Wednesday 18 May 2011

PREENING FEATHERS

The chicks are growing by the minute and are now pushing each other around the nestbox as they stretch their feathers and legs.

The good news is all eight chicks have so far made it, although if they all make it to next year, it'll be a miracle such is the force of mother nature.

They'll be fledging soon, which is both sad and rewarding. Sad because the while family has provided great entertainment, but rewarding because it's good to know my efforts in providing a suitable home has helped the parent great tits to raise a family.

The insight, we all have gained, into one of the UK's most popular garden birds during the last few months has been excellent and a privilege that the great tits have let us do it.

The camera has taken a bit of a battering and the viewing angle has changed a few times, particularly since the nest was built, but the live footage has been the most popular channel on our TV recently.

Even my ten month old daughter waves at 'the birdies' every time she comes into the lounge and looks at the TV; she even tries to touch the chicks as they move and shouts at the adults when they come in to the nest!

Once the chicks fledge I'm hoping the parents come back soon to raise another brood. I'll reflect on this breeding season once the chicks are gone, but this year could see a huge rise in chicks raised by birds as the first ones appeared at least two weeks earlier than last year.

I'm hoping to film the fledging but here's a video of the chicks being fed tonight.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

WING STRETCHING

It's been a few days since I last updated this blog, but a stomach bug has affected the adults in our house, meaning most of my time has been sent either being ill or playing nurse!

The good news is the bug has finished its work and the even better news is the great tit chicks are bursting out of the nest.

Below are images that show how big the chicks have grown since Friday night. But first the video taken from today showing just how much of the nest the chicks have taken up.



Despite the damp and cool weather the parents have done very well and although I can't tell if all eight chicks have survived, I'm hoping when they fledge in the next few days to find out.

Saturday 14th May 8.00am


Saturday 14th May 8.00pm


Sunday 15th May 8.00am


Sunday 15th May 8.00pm


Tuesday 17th May 6.00pm

Friday 13 May 2011

FEATHERING THE NEST

The weather in May is like April, full of showers and gradually cooler weather.

But nothing is dampening the spirits of the great tit parents as they continue to ensure their eight chicks are fed.

The feeding frenzy is obviously working as the chicks are now filling the nest and jostling for position when the next delivery of mealworms or caterpillars is brought in.

I suspect it's only a matter of days before the chicks fledge and I hope the weather improves so the chicks have the maximum chance of survival.

On a sad note a witnessed a female duck and her eight ducklings, on their way to a water source, being run over and killed by a car on a local road. The car didn't brake or even try to avoid the family and it made my heart sink deeper than I ever thought wildlife would make me feel.

I suspect having my own young family and watching the great tits be born and grow up has contributed to me feelings.

On a happier note the images below are from yesterday morning to this evening, giving you an idea of how much the great chick tits have grown.

Thursday 7am

Thursday 7pm

Friday 7am

Friday 7pm

Wednesday 11 May 2011

A PECKING ORDER

Another day and several more feathers are starting to show on all of the great tit chicks.

While at most times only four to six chicks have their bright, wide yellow mouths visible to the camera, I have counted all eight at once today.

The mini mealworms arrived today and a scattered a few around this evening before watching the adult great tits feed their chicks.

I've not seen much of the other wildlife in the garden as I spent much of the evening dealing with the wild animal that is my daughter!

Below are two images taken first thing in the morning and just before the chicks are put to bed for the night.

6.30am

8.00pm

Tuesday 10 May 2011

FEATHERED FRIENDS

Another day for the eight great tit chicks has seen them start to show their feathers.

At just five days old I'm amazed at how much they grow in 24 hours. The parents constant feeding is obviously working well as all the chicks seem to be progressing well.

I won't get much chance to see them until the weekend but will have morning and evening images from tomorrow of them.

A new delivery of mealworms arrived today, just in time as the previous supply will run out tomorrow.


As you can see from the picture the chicks are already becoming greedy and wanting food every second of daylight hours.

The garden has benefited from some heavy rain showers this week, the pond in particular is reaping the rewards. The frog is now officially a pond resident and I caught up with him this evening.

Other wildlife are carrying on the spring task of raising young and I'm expecting to see more fledglings in the garden in the next few days. I think the robin chicks must be near to leaving the nest.

Monday 9 May 2011

FEEDING FRENZY

The great tit chicks are growing fast, as all eight are being fed at regular intervals by both parents with all sorts of food.

I put a few mealworms out this evening and the great tits, robins and blackbirds were on them within seconds of me putting them out.

The first great tit chick had eaten a mealworm less than a minute later, although one parent still found other food while the other swooped on the mealworm feast.

Below is a two minute video showing some of the feeding action this evening.



What amazes me about the footage was the way the chicks ate the food, then upturned themselves to 'deliver' the parent feeder, a fecal sac; the parent also waiting until the sac appears.

They are still blind and just 4.5 days old, but possibly only another 10 days from leaving the nest!

But tonight they'll be sleeping covered and kept warm by the female.

Sunday 8 May 2011

SUNSHINE & SHOWERS

A typical April day in May, failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the parent great tits as they continued to feed the eight hungry mouths in their nestbox.

Every so often, more in the morning and evening, the female would incubate the young while the male would gather food of various kinds.

Mealworms, caterpillars, insects and spiders were brought in today and the chicks are certainly showing signs of growing.

They're now asleep and being kept warm by the female.


In other news the robin, blackbird and dunnock parents are busy raising their broods, although I've still not seen any blue tits about the garden.

Other birds singing around include the swallows, chiffchaffs, goldfinches and wrens.

Finally the frog has welcomed the rain today, although a lot more is needed to fill the pond back to full.

Saturday 7 May 2011

POOP & SCOOP

The great tit chicks are growing by the hour as their parents bring them hoards of insects, caterpillars and other small creepy crawlies.

I've watched as various green caterpillars are brought in to the chicks, along with the mealworms I'm supplying in small numbers.

The female is very meticulous about cleaning the nest, spending minutes at a time shifting the chicks about and removing an parasites or unwanted dirt. The video was recorded while my own daughter was having a tantrum so please excuse the audio!

I'm learning so much about the activity inside a used nestbox, including about how old the chicks are before they allow the parents to remove their poo sacs from the nest.

I watched one chick being fed today, then immediately turning upside down and showing a fecal sac for the parent to take away. This is even more remarkable as the chicks are still blind.

The warm and wet weather is good in many ways for the chicks, although the parents are sometimes looking a little wet.

I'm hoping there's enough food to feed the chicks as the battle is on for survival.

The frog is still occupying an ever decreasing pond, although the rain so far this weekend is filling it up a little bit.

The swallows are in full voice, while the blackbirds are feeding the newly fledged chicks and I'm trying to find out exactly where the robin and dunnock parents have nested and are feeding their chicks.

With the feeding of chicks season well underway, a witnessed a dunnock chasing a blackbird off a mealworm.

A fun time for wildlife fans, but nerve wracking for parents and those who watch the youngsters struggle for survival.

Friday 6 May 2011

EIGHT IN THE BED

And the little one said, "can have that caterpillar please."

Ok I made that up, but it's what the smallest chick could be saying.

All eight eggs have hatched and the parents are obviously feeding them well as they all seem healthy.

Due to a long day and spending this evening with my only offspring after she came home after a few days away, I've not spent much time looking at the chicks.

As the thunder booms overhead the female great tit is nestling on the chicks and keeping them warm during the night.

Over the weekend I hope to get lots of video and images of the chicks and note how often the parents feed them and with what food.

Until then I hope they have a good night of sleep, just like my daughter!

Thursday 5 May 2011

BREAKTHROUGH

Two weeks and three days after the first eggs appeared, the great tits awoke this morning to six chicks!

I was very excited at 6.30am when I managed to see the chicks, who were minutes old.

The female was trying to feed them a spider, but it appeared to still be alive and was putting up a fight as the chicks struggled with their first feed.

To help the parents I have a supply of mealworms for them to feed the chicks, although I think there will be lots of caterpillars given the rain and humid weather.

The female is still incubating the final two eggs and keeping the chicks warm so glimpses of the chicks are few and far between.

But luckily not long after I looked this morning, I managed to capture this video. Enjoy until tomorrow's update.


Wednesday 4 May 2011

A FLEDGING

Still no update on the great tit eggs, despite the female's best incubating skills and continued stay in the nestbox.

There has been good news today on the form of the blackbird chicks from an historical nest next door, fledging.

As the parents successfully brought up two broods last year, and possibly previous years, I'm hopeful of seeing another fledging of blackbird chicks later in the summer.

The bush isn't located in somewhere people would generally look for a nest as it's fairly small, low to the ground, borders the lane and it within 10 foot of the front door.

As the parents spend a lot of time in my garden, it was no surprise that the male blackbird feeding two of the youngsters first thing this morning and this evening when I arrived home.



The frog is still occupying the pond, although I'm not sure what he/she is doing. I'm sure it's too late for mating and frogspawn, although maybe it is resting after an exhausting mating in the nearby bigger pond.

More updates on Friday, when the anticipated rain could bring a bit of colour to the garden.

Tuesday 3 May 2011

NO CRACKS YET

The female great tit is still incubating the eight eggs and there appears to be no change in her agitated behaviour; as if the eggs are overdue.

I've seen all eight eggs this evening and didn't see any cracks to indicate an imminent hatching.

If the eggs are hatching by Friday I fear for the would-be parents as it'll be nearly three weeks since they were laid.

In other news the frog appears to have taken up permanent residence in the pond, despite the water levels in the pond dropping rapidly in the continuing warm weather.

I'm hoping by the weekend, rain will refill the pond & also water the rest of the garden.

Here's hoping the morning will bring news of the first arrival.

Monday 2 May 2011

ANY DAY NOW

I've been keeping a close eye on the nestbox over the weekend and the female appears to be getting very agitated while sitting on the eggs.

I expect she's like any expectant parent, eagerly looking forward to seeing her young, but also to spend a bit more time outside.

The eggs are turned over at regular intervals to ensure they all are at the right temperature - how she knows I'm not sure as there's no thermometer! The picture below was taken while the female had five minutes enjoying the good weather.


The male has been very attentive, bringing in food for the female and probably to see exactly what's going on.

It's been two weeks since the first four eggs were laid, so I'm tuning in every hour to make sure I don't miss that first chick. The incubation period is 13-15 days, so it can't be too long.

My mealworm supply is ready and waiting, so when the chicks hatch, the parents have a helping hand in the first crucial days.

I have noticed some caterpillars on surrounding trees, although can't tell if there are plenty to go around for all the birds who rely on them to feed their young.

I'm still concerned about the blue tits, as they appear to be setting up home elsewhere. There's still hope of them using another nestbox in my garden or even next door's hole in the wall, like last year.

Right I'm off to have another look, perhaps tomorrow will bring some positive news.

Friday 29 April 2011

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

I've been enjoying the sunny weather by spending quality time with my daughter, something I don't have to often.

But as we've been in the garden lots, I've managed to keep an eye on the great tit nestbox.

The main activity in the second week of incubating has been watching the male bring food to the female.

She is spending much more time on the eggs and now rarely ventures out of the nestbox. On the one occasion I spotted her doing so I did count that eight eggs were still there.


I'm anticipating the hatching in the next 24-48 hours, although it could be another 4/5 days before all the eggs hatch, if they all do.

The mealworms are going down a treat with the robins, blackbirds and the male great tit, who is splitting them in half before feeding his mate.

My one worry is the blue tits. I've not seen any around the garden for a week and I've got the feeling they've decided to move on.

On the pond, I've not seen any more of the frog and no sign of frogspawn. The pond filling might begin this weekend.

More updates over the weekend when I hope to bring some news of a hatching or two!

Monday 25 April 2011

JUMPING FOR JOY

Two news updates tonight as some people's Easter celebrations give way to that sick feeling from eating too much chocolate. I feel fine as my Easter diet has been mainly watching the great tit eggs.

The great tit female has spent much more time incubating the eggs, while the male is often seen 'on guard' in the trees near the nestbox.

It's interesting to see and hear the interaction between the pair, especially when anyone s outside in the garden. The male must be reassuring the female on the nest, giving her he confidence to keep the eggs warm.

I did witness a very interesting battle between the female and a mosquito type creature, all in the darkness of the nestbox. The video below shows what happened.

I don't think there are any more eggs so the total appears to be eight, fingers crossed they all hatch and survive to at least fledgling.

In other news, I was putting extra plants in the rockery when I noticed a pair of eyes looking at me from the pond.

A frog was half submerged and motionless, watching me attend to the surrounding rockery. t even allowed me to take two photographs.

I think it's a little late for new frogspawn, so wonder if it's a tadpole from last year visiting the place it grew up.

I'll be keeping an eye on the pond to see what develops, but don't expect it to be another place in my garden to produce new wildlife.

The below photos of the pond are taken with seconds of each. Can you spot the frog?

Saturday 23 April 2011

EIGHTH WONDER OF THE NESTBOX

Well wonders never cease! Certainly not in my camera nestbox, as the eighth egg made an appearance this morning.

It makes me wonder if a ninth will appear tomorrow; my money is on not, but given my recent betting tips I'm not hopeful of a win

The female has been attending to the incubating very well today, with lots of egg turning and turning herself in the nest - no wonder the nest looks and feels like a perfectly formed mug from a pottery wheel.


As the warm weather starts to fade I think the female will spend more time in the nestbox and incubating the eggs, as the due date looms ever closer.

If my calculations (and bird book) are correct, the first chick should put in an appearance on Bank Holiday Monday.

I'm keeping everything crossed that all the eggs produce chicks, but know that only half of the eggs are likely to hatch chicks that will still be with us next year.

Perhaps my mealworms will help improve that percentage and the local cats can stay away during fledgling.

More updates tomorrow, with video footage too.

LUCKY SEVEN?

For the fourth day in a row another egg was laid in the great tits' nest, bringing the total to seven. I'm not expecting any more although I thought she would stop at five!

The activity is still following a pattern of the female doing the incubating and calling to the male for confirmation she can leave the nest safely to feed.

The eggs are often left for up to an hour, and although I was worried at first, I'm starting to trust their parenting skills and feel a bit more relaxed about the eggs uncovered for a short time.

I'm starting to put mealworms out for the parents and the first small batch was consumed by all manner of birds, who all swooped in to get their portion; either for themselves or their chicks.

I suspect the robins and blackbirds fed their chicks, while the blue and great tits fed themselves.

Images of the birds and other wildlife will be available in posts over the weekend as I make the most of an extended Easter holiday.

The only difference this year is not all my eggs are made of chocolate.

Thursday 21 April 2011

SIX NOT OUT

I mean six eggs with no chicks out yet.

The sixth egg appeared this morning and as I've not been able to get a clear picture of the eggs tonight I'm unsure as to how many there are now.


I've noticed the parent great tits are leaving the eggs alone for quite a long time, sometimes over an hour, but I guess time will tell if this is normal behaviour or first time parents unsure of what they're doing - a bit like Sarah and I, well more me than Sarah if I'm honest.

As I look at the female now covering and warming the eggs I hope the work and effort she and her partner have put into these eggs pays off.

Putting a camera into their domain (nestbox) was a risk for me and I'm grateful they've accepted it, even if the view isn't quite how I set it up.

With the Easter holidays upon us I hope to give reflective views on 2011 compared to 2010 and 2009.

I'll also be topping up their diet with mealworms and keeping an eye on which other birds are currently parents.

As Sarah and I enjoy out first spring and summer with our daughter, so I hope to share with our birds the joy of parenthood.

Wednesday 20 April 2011

HOW MANY EGGS ARE THERE?

Another day and another egg from the great tit female as she broods the five eggs. As the honorary midwife, I've pencilled in a due date of 1st May, although I won't be helping with the births.

I'm so fascinated by the nestbox camera I'm often sat in the lounge just watching what is happening. This week I'll be mainly updating the nestbox activity, but will have a full round up of the other news over the weekend - when I can see them!

The female is often turning over the eggs to ensure they're incubated all around, a very fussy parent-to-be.

This morning she had left the nest to be with her partner and have a feed, but left her eggs covered with soft down and fur to ensure they kept warm - given this very warm weather at the moment she didn't need much fur.

Tomorrow I'll be comparing how the timings of nest building and egg laying have differed from this year to 2010.

I've looked back on my blog last year and despite being delayed in the Canary Islands by the volcanic ash cloud incident, I'm able to give fairly accurate timings of when things happened.

Below is the five eggs as they were at 7.30pm tonight, after the female briefly left the nest. Will I find more in the morning? Tune in tomorrow night to see!

Tuesday 19 April 2011

GREAT TITS BRING EARLY EASTER CHEER

Easter has arrived a little early in the great tit nestbox.

In just 12 days the great tits have transformed the empty bare nestbox into a comfy one-bed dwelling, complete with four eggs! The first picture was taken on 7th April.


The video footage below shows the female great tit with just two eggs this morning and by the evening there was four eggs visible. (See above pic) Will there be anymore in the morning?

I particularly like the way the great tit uses fluff in the nest to cover the eggs and keep them at the right temperature.

It's been a fantastic few weeks of watching the great tit female roost in the nest, then suddenly decide to start building a nest, to then the start of laying her eggs.

Being able to watch the intricate, private life of a wild animal is a brilliant experience and setting up this camera has been well worth the effort and patience.

The blog will continue to monitor the lives of my great tits, along with other animal updates, inlcuding where the blue tits have nested and when the blackbird chicks will appear.

In other exciting news, my first parcel of mealworms has arrived, just in time to feed some soon to be hungry mouths.

Friday 15 April 2011

NESTBOX UPDATE

The great tit's nest is becoming more and more comfortable and tonight I watched it snuggling down.

I almost thought it was rolling the eggs over, but it would have been the quickest egg laying in history as I had only looked at the nest an hour ago!

The builder of the nest is female, and sightings of the male in the nestbox have not been made, although that's not to say he hasn't been around.

When will there be eggs? I'm hoping next week sometime, but I'll bring daily updates here with new pics and video.



So life continues outside the nestbox and eggciting (sorry couldn't resist) news from the blackbirds next door. They appear to be using the same nest in the same bush as last year and this afternoon I noticed one was 'depositing' an empty egg shell on the other side of the house.

I did notice the blue tits looking at the nestbox today but yet again they've been too late. Maybe they'll use the nestbox they've been roosting in or even the hole in the wall next door.

I'm hoping to spend a bit of time in the garden this weekend, and will feedback any news on all the birds.

I'll obviously be focusing on the great tits, blut tits and blackbirds, but will be casting an eye for the swallows, goldfinches, tree sparrows and the male pheasant.

An order for mealworms will also be placed so I'm hoping to find out exactly who has chicks next week.

Tuesday 12 April 2011

EGGS AT EASTER?

March and early April brought some lovely weather that seemed to shake the wildlife into a frenzy of activity.

Not only the animals, but plants and trees have literally blossomed in the last few weeks.

The most exciting development has been the recent nest building activity from the great tit that has been 'renting' my nestbox fitted with a camera.

It's given me a view of life in spring of small birds I never thought I'd see.

After weeks of sleeping alone in the bare nestbox, I thought the great tit (I think it's a male) had a mate it would be sharing the night with.

At dusk a two weeks ago they both hung around a couple of trees often glancing at the nestbox, until the resident great tit entered, called for the other one, then gave up and went to sleep as I watched the other bird fly off.

Last Thursday the nest building started and in the series of pictures taken daily below. you can see how quickly and actively the nest has formed. The intricacy in how it's being built is a joy to simply marvel at.


I'll be continuing to update the nest building on a daily basis and hope to soon bring news of some early Easter eggs!

In other news the pond is showing little activity, while the flora of my garden is producing plenty of new plants from bulbs and I'm hoping to have some images up this weekend.

Other birds are busy nest building and generally getting excited about bringing new families into the world.

Finally the first sighting this year of a swallow came on Sunday, a sight I always remember since my primary school days watching swallows bring up youngsters in the barns we had on the farm I live on Wales.


Friday 18 March 2011

SPRING SUNSHINE LIGHTS UP MARCH

The glow of spring sunshine is becoming a frequent image when I look out of the car, house or office.

The warmth isn't quite there yet, although in sheltered spots with little wind you can get an idea of what it'll be like in a few weeks. The daffodils are loving it though

But the blossom on some of the trees is a beautiful light pink colour, reflected brilliantly be the low sun.

Birds are obviously getting excited about the arrival of spring, with the dawn chorus a cacophony of sounds claiming territories and demonstrations of masculinity by many of our male feathered friends.

My excitement levels have reached unprecedented levels this week, not because of the sunshine or dawn chorus tunes, but by the emergence of a new TV star in my house!

Two weeks ago I fitted the nestbox, that has been used every year since I put it up, with a tiny camera that feeds live images 24-7 into a channel on my TV.

With four nestboxes I've trusted that the one I've chosen will be used again this year and provide some great shots of a family of great or blue tits growing up.

It still needs adjustment to the focus and wiring route, but it works and, it's what I've waited patiently for since 2007.

I checked it every night for five days, then left it over a weekend. On Sunday night I sneaked a view while Sarah wasn't looking and mush to my amazement, a bird was snuggled up in there!



In the last week I've checked every night and the same looking bird has spent the night in the box, only once giving me a clue to its identity. I think it's a great tit, but will confirm soon.

I want to leave it and get it settled so it knows the nestbox is a safe place to bring up a family, then one day soon it might start building a nest.

In other news the dunnocks are busy flirting with their fluttery wings, while the robins seem to have established which parts of the area they'll be 'owning' this year, after seemingly sharing some parts during the cold, ice and snowy conditions.

The blue tits, blackbirds, chaffinches, goldfinches, tree sparrows, long tailed tits and wrens are all in our garden daily, with frequent visits from a great spotted woodpecker, jays, woodpigeons and the resident cock pheasant.

This weekend I'm making final checks on my nestboxes before keeping my fingers crossed at least three of the four are used.

The pond will also be given a makeover, to help any returning frogs to spawn.

Sunday 27 February 2011

SPRING IS COMING

With daffodils emerging and snowdrops appearing everywhere, we can only assume spring is in the air.

I know it was a bit cold last night, but frosts can be expected until April at least.

So my Blue Tit blog is starting again with an added extra - a bird box camera. My partner Sarah bought me the camera system for Christmas but it's taken me a while to have the time to set it up.

Only thing I'm now waiting for is the extension lead to fit the camera to the bird box that has been occupied since I put it up in January 2008.

In 2008 and 2009 a pair of blue tits brought up five and six youngsters respectively, whether it was the same pair I just don't know.

In 2010 the blue tits were usurped by the great tits, who brought up six chicks. The blue tits moved next door to a cavity in the wall left by an outlet pipe.

One amazing evening with golden sunlight lighting the garden, both sets of chicks started to fledge within minutes of me arriving home from work. Three hours later I'd watched them fledge, find their wings in the nearby trees and fly off with their parents.

I have four nest boxes now in the garden, and in 2010 a pair of robins nested in the open-fronted box hidden in the honeysuckle. Will they come back this year? I hope so.

I've kept the birds with food during the winter and now have the usual suspects of blue, great and long tailed tits, robins, blackbirds, dunnocks, tree sparrows, chaffinches and goldfinches along with the now regular jays and great spotted woodpeckers. The wrens are still around, but more irregular.

I'm checking the nestboxes for roosting activity next weekend, then clearing anything out ready for the 2011 spring and summer residents. Fingers crossed they arrive!

Wednesday 5 January 2011

EXCITING UPDATE

With the snow and cold weather still affecting my tits and all the other birds that visit my garden, I'll be introducing a new way of monitoring activity in my nestboxes.

My partner, Sarah, bought my a wireless camera for Christmas, which means if one of my nestboxes is used this year, I'll have a separate TV channel to view their activity and any chicks they have.

This weekend I'll be fixing the camera up so stay tuned for the first pictures - if I can make it work!

In the meantime my feathered friends are busily eating through my supplies of fat balls, suet snacks, supreme bird seed and peanuts.

Among the visitors to my garden are blue tit, great tit, blackbird, robin, great spotted woodpecker, jay, dunnock, long tailed tit, chaffinch, woodpigeon, starling, wren and tree sparrow.