Bluetit Diary    Dec 2010 (2)

 

 

Tuesday 21st December 2010

It is now nearing Christmas and the cold weather has meant that the garden is full of birds.  They come for the food that Elizabeth keeps putting out for them in large quantities.

What's this taking a look at Box2?

A wren!  But it didn't stay for long.  At least it means that we have another unusual garden bird for the BTO Garden Bird Watch that Elizabeth completes each week.

 

 

Wednesday 22nd December

Box3 has a visitor at last.

He seems very interested in the box.

I'm very pleased with the quality of the pictures taken in Box3.  The top camera is the same type as the one currently used by Boxwatch for their bird box kits, and the sideways mounted camera is the same as I used last year.  However, lifting the base of the box by an inch and removing some of the wood from the shelf has resulted in a better sideways view.

The box looks nice and clean too.  (It should do, it's a new one!)

Last year this view of a bird from the side would have been obstructed by part of the shelf.  This year I have removed much of this and you can only see it at the bottom corners of the picture.

Getting the focus right is a bit tricky as the depth of focus is not big enough for a bird at the front to be in focus if a bird at the back was.  As I am expecting the nest to be built on the far left corner, that took priority.

The numbers written on the end wall are the height in centimetres above the floor.  I am expecting the nesting material of the finished nest to be about 5cm deep.

Today we have our first rooster.  This picture was taken at 5:07pm by IR light after the main lights had been switched off.  The bluetit is roosting on the small shelf beneath the side mounted camera.

I wonder whether this bird is a male or a female?  We will soon see!

 

 

Friday 24th December

Things seem to be hotting up around Box3.

bluetit roosted in Box3 again last night.  So far the box still looks clean so perhaps we have a female.  On the other hand, it is roosting on the shelf which the cameras can't see so perhaps it's too early to tell.

Is this a pair or are these two birds competing for the box?

What beautiful things a bird's wings are!

Another flight picture.  You can see that it is coming into land with all its brakes on.  Even its tail feathers are spread.

Flying away again.

This doesn't look too welcoming!

It looks as though there might be a competition for the use of Box3 this year.

And if you are wondering about the fight that was shown on our front page, you will have to wait for tomorrow's installment for that!