Bluetit Diary    Feb 2019 (3)

 

 

Tuesday 12th February, 2019

Nothing seems to be happening in Box2 or Box3, and so far the female in Box1 doesn't seem ready to start nest building.  There is therefore nothing for the female to do other then to play swap-over games with the male.  This she does with a vengeance!

Another swap-over. 

This pair appear to have bonded well.  They are playing the swap-over game as much as any pair I can remember! 

Now this bird looks different.  It has several fluffy patches on his body feathers.

A long time ago (in 2003 and 2004) we had such a female who we called Fluffy!  Perhaps fluffiness is a common oddity of bluetits - or perhaps this bird is descended from Fluffy!

These fluffy patches look black, whereas Fluffy's patches were the normal feather colour.

These patches are very obvious.  This is clearly a different bird from the two who have been frequenting this box so far. 

Just look at it!  Clearly, as with the case of Fluffy (2003 vintage) it can't upset it's flying much or it couldn't have got into the nest box! 

It doesn't stay any longer and flies off.

Just two minutes later, this bird arrives.  It's probably the male from our normal pair - which I must find some names for!

How about Jeremy and Theresa, or is that too insulting to our bluetits?