While Elizabeth and I were going for a walk along the Wey Navigation, where Elizabeth managed to spot a chiffchaff flitting along the edge of the canal, rather more serious things were taking place in Box1. (The Wey Navigation is where the river Wey has been turned into a navigable canal just north of Guildford, and is our local birding patch.)
A bluetit has landed on the entrance to Box1
It's now half a minute later and it's gone inside.
Ten seconds later a great tit arrives on the scene
It appears to be agitated ...
... and is now displaying at the entrance. It seems to be trying to protect what it sees as its nest box from the bluetit.
I wish we had some sound here. I'm sure the great tit is making "Get out of my box" noises!
At this stage the bluetit does not appear too concerned by the great tit. Perhaps it knows the GT cannot get in!?
The GT is clearly agitated by the presence of the bluetit inside ...
... and is getting more so every second!
The bluetit suddenly decides it's had enough and flies out of the nest box ...
... catching the GT so much by surprise that it falls of its perch on the nest box hole!
This is the last time we see the bluetit. It must have left the box like the cork from a bottle of champagne!
Just a few seconds later, the great tit is back. Perhaps it thinks it can get in if it tries just once more!
You can see it's really trying!
The GT stays here for the best part of a minute before giving up and ...
... flying up to the roof of the box before departing.
I am now becoming concerned that the policy of keeping the hole too small for the great tit could backfire. What if the great tit were successful in driving away the bluetits and yet couldn't use it itself because it couldn't get inside? Disaster!
Perhaps we should rethink this!
Just in case there are any doubting Thomases out there, here is a picture of the chiffchaff Elizabeth and I saw this morning! The background is the earth bank that makes up the edge of the canal at that point.