Bluetit Diary    Jan 2010 (6)

The Box1 nest box has seen better days.  It is nine years old and has been used each year since it was put up in the autumn of 2000.  It has been attacked by squirrels and cats and in spite of the fact that its roof was replaced a couple of years ago, I have decided that this year I shall replace it.  I therefore obtained a new box from Boxwatch and transferred the camera to it.

It is some years since I last bought a Boxwatch box, but the quality of the product is still impressive.  It was simplicity itself to install as I had taken down the old box before Christmas when I did the routine clean.  Having fitted the camera in my study, it took all of 5 minutes to put up - hook the new box onto the old mount, plug in the three phono cables and switch on!

I hadn't removed the ladder before the box had been visited.  I remember that while I was fitting it, there was a bluetit in the tree beside me shouting its warning call at me.  Directly the coast was clear - it was in.  I hadn't even switched on the outside camera!

He's having a good look out of the hole here.

Half an hour later I had got the outside camera working and removed the ladder just in time to catch a great tit having a good look and the new box.

This is not Ferdinand - you can just see the he has a tail!

A handsome looking bird!

I forgot to measure the size of the entrance hole before putting the box up.  I wonder if the entrance is large enough for a great tit?

He didn't try to go in the box - which is just as well as we really would prefer a bluetit to make a nest here.  If necessary, I can always put the bluetit sized metal plate up.

Three quarters of an hour later, a bluetit came to inspect.

He had a close look but didn't go inside.

The prospects really couldn't look better at this stage!