Today was a different matter. Although the area still smelled of creosote, one bird was inquisitive enough to have a look.
It came just after 10 this morning, landing first on the roof.
Summer has come and gone. Thank goodness that the our bluetit diary only clashes with the croquet season for a couple of months!
Over the last few days, I have been taking the bird boxes down and cleaning them out. Box2, Fluffy's old box, has had the full treatment but Box1, the box in the back garden, was deserted after its nest had been completed and although I cleaned it as usual, I returned the nesting material as it feels warm to the touch, is dry - and clean! Perhaps this will tempt a roosting bird during the winter.
It was apparent that this box had not been entered by any bird for a long time. The nest hole was criss-crossed with strands of spiders' web and the inside of the box was thick with the stuff. The reason quickly became clear when a very large spider, which had taken up residence in the box, tried to scuttle away. It was despatched forthwith! I remember seeing a large spider crawling around while Neptune was still mourning his lost love. Could this be the same one? How long do such spiders live?
We have recently started monitoring both boxes for visitors. Yesterday a beak appeared in the entrance to Box1, but no bird entered and it was not clear what species the beak belonged to. I spent the morning creosoting the back gate and fencing and as this is situated directly beneath Box2, it was not surprising that this box had no visitors.
