Birdies....yay!

Love to have animals around? Perhaps you're being plagued by them? All your tips here...

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter

User avatar
Diane
KG Regular
Posts: 1640
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:08 pm
Location: Wimborne, Dorset.
Been thanked: 1 time

Finally, finally, after many years a pair of coal tits has deemed our nest box a suitable place to rear their family. :D
[attachment=0]coaltits _Jun 21 2017_1011_edited-1.jpg[/attachment]
Attachments
coaltits _Jun 21 2017_1011_edited-1.jpg
coaltits _Jun 21 2017_1011_edited-1.jpg (2.54 MiB) Viewed 6391 times
'Preserve wildlife - pickle a rat'
PLUMPUDDING
KG Regular
Posts: 3269
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:14 pm
Location: Stocksbridge, S. Yorks

Nice photo Diane, but don't think it's a coal tit they aren't blue and green. Still nice to have them using the nest box, I don't think any of mine are being used this year, although the garden is full of fledglings.

The cat is doing his best to reduce the numbers and has added baby Dunnock and adult Robin to his tally this week.
Monika
KG Regular
Posts: 4546
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 8:13 pm
Location: Yorkshire Dales

It's a great tit, Diane, not coal tit, but a great picture! All our tit boxes have been taken over by house sparrows this year ...
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5909
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 673 times
Been thanked: 238 times

Brilliant picture Diane! Lucky you!
Westi
tigerburnie
KG Regular
Posts: 2084
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:12 am
Location: Angus by the sea
Has thanked: 322 times
Been thanked: 194 times

No yellow on a Coal tit, I agree it's a Great Tit
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
User avatar
Diane
KG Regular
Posts: 1640
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:08 pm
Location: Wimborne, Dorset.
Been thanked: 1 time

Oh....thank you - I just assumed because it had a black head that it was a coal tit. Must do more research now. Learning all the time. :D
'Preserve wildlife - pickle a rat'
User avatar
Pawty
KG Regular
Posts: 604
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2015 6:12 pm
Location: Hampshire

Hi,

Great pic - but agree, it's not a coal tit - it's a great tit.

Coal tits don't have as much colour and have a white patch on the back of their necks which is surrounded by black (Mr Pawty is a want to be twitcher so it's always a lesson in our house!)

Pawty
tigerburnie
KG Regular
Posts: 2084
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:12 am
Location: Angus by the sea
Has thanked: 322 times
Been thanked: 194 times

ImageCoal Tit by R MAURINS, on Flickr
I do a lot of photography, mostly wildlife, so if you have access to flickr, you may find the picture you need for identification purposes.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
User avatar
Diane
KG Regular
Posts: 1640
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:08 pm
Location: Wimborne, Dorset.
Been thanked: 1 time

Brilliant info...thank you. Today the last baby has left the nest. So I'm assuming the parents will continue to feed them for a while and then do the parents return to the nest box and lay again? Don't know whether to risk opening the box and giving it a bit of a clean out to get rid of any pests inside. I wouldn't want to upset mum and dad.

P.S. I found your photos on Flickr - absolutely stunning. So impressed. Thank you for the link :D
'Preserve wildlife - pickle a rat'
User avatar
Geoff
KG Regular
Posts: 5575
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:33 pm
Location: Forest of Bowland
Been thanked: 129 times

Lovely photos - like your kitchen (3381).
tigerburnie
KG Regular
Posts: 2084
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:12 am
Location: Angus by the sea
Has thanked: 322 times
Been thanked: 194 times

Geoff that's a restored Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis, stunning place to visit if you love the wild side of nature.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
Colin2016
KG Regular
Posts: 944
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2016 3:33 pm
Location: North Norfolk Coast
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 57 times

Do you put any thing in the boxes to encourage the birds?

Also wondering how far apart multiple boxes should be, as saw a box 18 inches with 3 holes for sale, would they get used being so close.
User avatar
Geoff
KG Regular
Posts: 5575
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:33 pm
Location: Forest of Bowland
Been thanked: 129 times

The bird hotels or terraces work well for sparrows. Well they are supposed to. I have one with four rooms that house sparrows have been using regularly for years, when I clean it out there are several nests but to be honest I haven't checked if they are used at the same time or for successive broods. In another part of the garden I have a single box that has been used by tree sparrows for 3 or 4 years so I made a five hole terrace nearby thinking I would get more nests but although they inspect it they don't nest in it.
tigerburnie
KG Regular
Posts: 2084
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:12 am
Location: Angus by the sea
Has thanked: 322 times
Been thanked: 194 times

I put up 3 boxes last year and all 3 had wasps nests in them, not the desired result!!
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
robo
KG Regular
Posts: 2808
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:22 pm
Location: st.helens
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 56 times

I have six box's fixed to the fence down the plot only one gets used its the same one every year I can't work it out they are all identical
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic