Last year's birds
Fluff roosts
Fluff is usurped
A truly excellent site about these birds
Visitors since 10th March 2000:
After the last picture on the previous page , we decided to change the large nest box hole for the smaller parus caeruleus sized opening. We also took the opportunity to cover the crack in the floor with packaging tape to keep the light out. We started the video recorder running and were rewarded (later in the day) with frequent visits. The pair of parus caeruleus are inspecting the nest box, and entering it about twice an hour during the daytime. Neither has decided to roost.
22nd February 2000. Here is our day's sequence of images.
Entering the box.
Looking up.
Looking left.
Both birds inspect the box.
Peering and sitting up.
Flapping wings.
A beady eye.
Spreading the wings.
Looking out.
Departing.
24th February 2000 Our birds are still very active in their visits to the box. The male is, for a parus caeruleus, a large bird and he has a little trouble in squeezing through the hole.
A tight fit.
When he does so, a shower of nits, fleas, or lice can be seen to come out of his feathers. He has spent some time trying to enlarge the hole, ineffectually pecking at it from both the inside and the outside. The wood is about 1cm thick.
Trying to enlarge the hole
At one stage a test stem of grass was brought in to the nest, by one or other of the birds, and promptly removed again by the large bird.
1st March 2000. St David's day. For the last ten days we have seen a pair of birds visit the box most mornings between 8am and 11am, usually two or three times. The procedure seems to be fairly invariant; a bird looks in once or twice, then enters, and squats at the back or the side of the box while the partner inspects though the hole. This "through the hole" inspection can be quite thorough and protracted. Not being able to sex the birds by sight, we are not sure which is the male and which the female, but the books suggest the male is inside trying to attract the female to his "des res" (desirable residence) to set up house. It was ever thus. So far the female has not entered the box at the same time as the male. After a bit the bird inside leaves, and the other bird continues the inspection from outside. It may be (we are speculating) that the contract is signed when the partner deigns to enter the box which has been offered.
4th March 2000. The birds are regular visitors. Some pictures of the last two days' activities may be seen by downloading from the directory index to pics000304 . The male has enticed the female into the box, and she has been responding by giving him a courtship display.
5th March 2000. Both birds have been in the box together. Perhaps they have been mating. We are not sure, being novices in this kind of bird watching. For spectacular pictures, click on the filenames in pics000305 .
email d.jefferies@surrey.ac.uk David Jefferies 25th March 2000