Bluetit Diary    Apr 2006 (2)

For the last few days, both the bluetits and the great tits have been taking an interest in Box1.  Even though a great tit has been visiting the box, it has not yet gone inside.

This picture was taken on 1st April.  Even though the bluetits visited more often that the great tits, they didn't always enter either.  For example, there were no visits inside on this day.

Even though the bluetit pair didn't go in regularly, it is clear that they thought of the box as theirs.  Here the male displays - presumably to tell some other bird to keep away.

I couldn't resist including this picture.  The external camera pointing at Box2 comes up trumps again!  I think the bluetit has just come out of the box and is swiveling round so it can land on the roof.  Most acrobatic!

Will this be the last visit a bluetit goes into the box this season?

We are now at 3rd April and again the great tits are visiting.  There are no bluetit visits inside the box today.

Another great tit visit on the 4th April - and again no bluetits go inside the box.

This is the first time we have recorded a great tit inside Box2 this year.  It is about a quarter to nine so it could have been going in and out all morning, but this is the first since we switched on this morning.  It stays for a couple of minutes before leaving.

Here at 9.21 is the second visit. 

This introduces the problem of how so tell the sex of the great tits.  If we though bluetits were bad - great tits appear to be a lot worse!  Last year it was easy as Ferdinand, the male, had lost his tail feathers and that was very straightforward to recognise!  I think that male great tits normally have a bigger black patch and stripe down their front than do the females.  That would imply that this is a female perhaps?

A third visit - and this time it stayed about seven minutes.

This is the fourth and last visit we recorded yesterday, 5th April.