Nesting blue tits

[nanila]

My Eldest made a bird box with her Granddad over the winter holidays a couple of years ago. We put it in the hedgerow when we got home, and promptly forgot about it.

Until a couple of weeks ago, when we noticed a blue tit seemed to be going in and out of it regularly.

The baby blue tits have hatched! We can hear them peeping inside, and this afternoon I got the chance to sit outside and watch patiently from the bench some distance away whilst the parents darted in and out of the box, carrying in food and removing waste.


A wild blue tit appears!


Blue tit with large green grub in its beak perches on the bramble just outside the entrance.


Blue tit looks carefully over its shoulder before entering the box.


A rare glimpse of both parents. One is sitting on the bramble whilst the other emerges carrying a little poo sac for disposal.


Parent in flight, leaving the box with poo sac in its beak.

Comments

[shirebound]

Oh, how wonderful!

You might enjoy my pics here...

https://shirebound.dreamwidth.org/1505895.html

[nanila]

\o/ And yes, thank you, I did enjoy those pics, and the story that went with them.

Bird feeder adverts: Check out this squirrel-proof feeder!
Squirrels: HAHAHA. BRING IT.

[veritas_poet]

Oh, the action shot!

And... they remove their own waste? I've never heard of birds doing such a thing! Didn't even know they were capable!

[yourlibrarian]

Robins do it too, both parents carried it away as they fed the babies.

Great to see the pictures, nanila. Glad the box got takers at last!

[nanila]

I thought quite a lot of nesting birds did this, and then eventually stopped to, er, help motivate the growing birds to fledge.

Thank you. I'm very happy about this. There are also a pair of wood pigeons nesting in a tree nearby, but I can't see them so well. Can definitely hear them, though!

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Action shot!

Nice that you've got tenants and you get to enjoy them. Thanks for sharing.

[nanila]

Yes! I'm hoping to get to see the fledglings, but realise the chances are slim.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Sounds like the bench gives you better odds.

I got to experience a young cardinal very close because my yard is small enough I'm considered a Not Cat-Mostly Harmless (from my slow moving while weeding)

Perhaps a book that's not super engaging?

[glinda]

Aww that's lovely - especially the action shot!

[nanila]

Thank you! I was pleased about the action shot.

[iddewes]

How lovely that you’ve got tits using the box!

[nanila]

Yes! I was expecting robins to be the first takers rather than the tits, so this was a nice surprise. :)

[weofodthignen]

Lovely pictures. They are so efficient.

M

[nanila]

Thank you; I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. Birds are wonderful.

[turlough]

Such wonderful photos! The last one is just fantastic. And I love the second one where you can see the little raised crest on its head. Blue tits are so cute!

[nanila]

Thank you. It's such a pleasure to sit outside and watch them. I might do that some more this afternoon. :)

[jitterylittlething]

Haha! just like taking the nappies out. Love the little determined looking face in that last photo.

Wow, I wish I could take pics like that. Need to get myself a decent camera.

[nanila]

Yes, apparently they wait for the sac to appear and grab it straightaway. No stinking up the nest box allowed!

It is very nice having a camera that can do what's required to get these shots (continuous shooting) and a good quality telephoto lens.

[cesy]

Lovely!

[nanila]

Thanks! It's so nice to have occupants. My Youngest goes outside every evening before he goes to bed with a handful of seed and scatters it carefully below the box.

[thenewbuzwuzz]

So dapper and cute! <3

[nanila]

Yes! And alert and tidy. :)