Bluetit Diary    Dec 2006 (4)

 

 

Tuesday 19th December (part2)

However, to get back to Box1!

The great tits are very busy with this box.  They are in and out all the day.  I was hoping that by the time dusk was falling, the birds would go off to roost and I could change the camera without disturbing them.  The great tit male roosting put an end to that idea.

 

Another diversion,  there is a bluetit here that seems to find the presence of the great tit as a personal insult.  "Here, that's my box" he seems to be saying.  He only appears on the scene when a great tit has gone inside.  Here he is again to make his point.

I think this must be the female.  She is removing a dropping from the nest box - left by the male last night I have no doubt.

You can see why I have decided to move the camera back a bit.  It's too close at the moment to catch some of the interesting bits of action.

Here you can see a shot of the great tit inside the box.  It has a narrow black band down its front and that supports my theory that it is the female.  The male's black band is broader and stronger.