Nestbox Cam 2024

07 June 2024

Bad news.  When I switched on the camera today there was no sign of life.  I waited and watched but there was no visit from a parent and the chicks were obviously dead.

I opened the box to check this evening and there were three dead chicks.  There were originally six eggs and subsequently four chicks.  My guess is that the other two eggs did hatch (I don't think the adult birds could carry out an unbroken egg and when an egg has failed to hatch in the past it has just been left).  I suppose the missing three chicks were already dead and had been removed by the parents.

I guess the most likely cause the death of these three is predation of one of the parents, perhaps by a sparrowhawk.  I don't know if in that circumstance the other one tries to carry on.  It is also turning out to be notably bad year for the blue tit colonies in the local nature reserve, which are closely monitored.  Wet spring weather leading to a poor year for caterpillars is thought to be responsible.  Whatever the cause that is now five consecutive years with no birds fledging from this box.  I'll hope for better luck next year.

05 June 2024

It now looks as though there are only three chicks.  There were six eggs and at least four hatched.  I didn't see what happened to the other eggs or chicks.  I have heard that it has been a difficult spring for blue tits with brood sizes significantly down and adults in poor condition. Heavy rain in the spring may have washed a lot of caterpillars off the leaves so there may have been less food around.  With luck there will be enough to get these two adults and three chicks through the season.

28 May 2024

I can still see only four open beaks when the mother brings in food.  It may be that they aren't all hungry at the same time and there are one or two others tucked down underneath.

25 May 2024

The last two eggshells have gone but I can't see how many chicks there are.  The mother is still sitting quite a lot.  It will be clearer in a few days when the chicks have grown.

24 May 2024

Right on schedule, some of the eggs hatched overnight.  The picture isn't the clearest and the bird only occasionally leaves the nest but I think four have hatched.  With luck the last two will have done so by tomorrow.  The video isn't up to much at this stage so I haven't included it.  I hope for better in the coming days.

There are several more nest boxes with blue tits (but without cameras).  The one immediately outside the kitchen window is at least a week ahead with the parents dashing in every minute or two with another caterpillar.

16 May 2024

I was away for a few days and when I got back the female was sitting on eggs.

It took until now to see the eggs while she was out but I now know there are six.  The first was laid on 06 May and, assuming she laid one a day, the last was laid on 11 May.  As blue tits incubate for 13-14 days we should see them hatch around 24-25 May.  I think the lens could do with a clean and the focus is slightly too close but I am stuck with it for this year.  A further update will follow once the eggs have hatched.

08 May 2024

Exciting news from my nest box camera.  The box was put up in 2009 and had a nest every year until 2019, first with great tits, once with tree sparrows and for nine years with blue tits.  The tree sparrows were a nuisance because they built their nest so the camera couldn't see in, so there is now a 28mm entrance plate over the hole to allow only blue tits access.  For the last four years the box was unused, although in one year a nest was nearly completed and then abandoned, probably because a sparrowhawk took the occupant.

This year things have looked more encouraging.  I checked the camera every few days and noticed nest material first on 20 April.

From 04 May the female was sleeping in overnight, usually a sign that egg-laying is imminent.

And two days ago, on 06 May, the first egg.

Yesterday I think there was a second egg, although it wasn't easy to see, and today I expect we are up to three but the bird has covered them over while she is out.

In the nine years that the box was used by blue tits building started between 09 March and 04 April.  The first egg was laid from 23 April - 10 May with clutches of 2-11 eggs.  The later the first egg, the smaller the clutch tended to be.  The total of eggs in nine year was 52, of which 51 hatched and all 51 fledged.

Three years ago I modified the box by putting in a slightly angled false back wall and moving the camera up and back as far as it will go so as to give a view of the whole of the floor and the entrance hole.  Looking at it now the focus is a bit too close so the nest is slightly out of focus but it is too late to do anything about it this year.  It will be fine once the chicks are hatched.

The camera and the software are old and the only computer compatible with them is my 16 year old Sony.  So I am keeping my fingers crossed that the sparrowhawk doesn't take one of the parents and the camera and computer last long enough to see the birds fledge.  I'll put regular updates on a separate page accessible via Nestbox Cam 2024 at the top of the blog.