Kitchen Garden Forum

This morning I discovered to my pleasure that a pair of blue tits have decided to nest in the tit box on the fence immediately alongside my vegetable patch. However, my pleasure was somewhat dimmed by the realisation that my regular presence working there might cause them to feel threatened and abandon the site. I know robins don't seem to be threatened by man when nesting but blue tits are normally much more timid and I'm wondering if anybody can advise how best to proceed. Obviously I can't abandon the vegetable patch for the whole spring but I want them to continue to nest there.

we have 3 boxes in our garden which get used most years one is 2metres from a patio door though a bit higher up and they don't bother about us

Dear Primrose,
try not to look directly at the box when you are working near it. Keep work within 3 metres at about 15mins a time, then leave well alone for about 1/2 an hour and only work nearby when the weather is good so that any interuption to the feeding patterns is easy for them to make good. This will minimise disturbance.
Blue tits seem to know that humans are not a great threat and are less prone to disturbance than a lot of other birds.
Put a seat about 10 metres away and observe them, they have a work ethic that can be tiring to watch.
regards Sally Wright.

Primrose, we have had blue tits and great tits nesting right next to frequently used paths and garden patches and they don't seem to bother. They are usually wary of carrying food to the young when we are in the immediate area but, as Sally says, just ignore them and don't look up and they will soon get used to you being there. It may also help to put in a long cane somewhere not too far from the box in the opposite direction from where you are likely to work most of the time. Then they can stop off there before going into the box.

Much of the bird activity also happens very early in the morning when you are probably still safely tucked up in bed!

Ello Primrose. We had a pair of Great Tits nest in the box on our shed on the allotment and a Collared Dove chose the apple tree close by as its des res. both of which we have to pass frequently. The birds were not remotely bothered by our activity and the chicks fledged without any problems. However we did take care to check if the parents were flying in with food before we passed the nesting area, so we didn't disturb them. We are hoping for more "tenants" this year! Cheers, Elaine.