The cold weather has meant that activity in both our boxes is several weeks later than normal. Well, that's the case with Box2 anyway - with Box1 things are even worse as we still don't seem to have any bird taking a serious interest in it.
With Box2 we still do not know for certain which birds are in control!
When we switched on this morning, this was the sight that greeted us - there is some more moss in the box!
Still, it soon became clear that this was just an academic exercise! Here she is taking it out again!
Off she goes!
Half an hour later, she is still at it. Still, it keeps her occupied!
Now this bird, who ever she is, has no hesitation when going in or out of the box. The next sequence shows a very different situation.
It's now an hour and a half later and there has been little recent activity around the nest box. Suddenly, a bluetit lands on the roof and peers into the nest box. It looks like a female as its head feathers are smooth and flat.
Twelve seconds later she is peering so intently that she looks as though she's going to fall off!
A couple of seconds later, she pops down onto the entrance hole.
Another twelve seconds later she is still there. This bird seems to spend as much time looking about her as she does looking into the nest box. This hesitant behaviour continues for ages.
But what's going on here. Here we have what is clearly a male bird. (See its darker, rougher head feathers.) Whether it has come to defend its territory by driving her away, or come to support her and egg her on is not yet clear.
Well, I think my first guess about the sex of the bird on the hole is right. If it had been male one bird would have gone or there would have been a fight - we're talking about serious matters here - a potential nest site.
The male, and his head feathers are even clearer here, seems to be supporting rather than challenging the bird on the nest box hole. At least she seems to be taking not the slightest interest in him - sounds right for a married couple, doesn't it?
"Where are you off to then?"
Suddenly, the male disappears!
It's now about a minute and a half since this bird approached the nest box - and she still can't make up her mind whether to go in or fly away.
Finally, a decision! She's not going in!!