Nesting box update

First, may I extend a big "Thank you" to all of you who sponsored a bird box this year. The comings and goings made for compulsive viewing with at least 4 species of birds using the nest boxes in their breeding attempts this year. 

It is not possible to say which, or even how many boxes bore successful nests this year, but maintenance and cleaning visits show that 17 of them attracted nesting attempts. That is over 50%, a very satisfying figure. 

We can confirm that three Blue Tit broods fledged successfully, from boxes 1, 5, 25. It is suspected that fledging took place by a family of Wrens from 2A and Robins from 3A and 5A. 

Wren's nest from 2a

Box 6 didn't appear on the radar at all during the nesting season, but on inspection it contained a used nest showing the bulky matter to make a springy, insulated base and the softer lining (feathering) comprising what appears to be a lot of animal hair.

Birds were not the only creatures to take advantage of the nesting opportunities. No 4 played host to a huge gathering of slugs and no 26 housed a delicate wasps' nest.

Young Great Tits were seen in the wood throughout June and breeding within the wood can be suspected. They were seen frequently visiting boxes at no 14 and no 17, but were driven from them by the woodpeckers. 

Spring 2021 showed how much a part predation plays in the natural world. The Great Spotted Woodpecker pair attacked a number of the boxes, taking the chicks to feed their own young. We had used some flimsy boxes from Wilko and the woodpeckers were able to break them open very easily. The more robust home-made boxes remained mostly intact.

So, we have beefed up defences for next year. Metal plates now protect a few of the entrance holes and wire mesh across the face of the box may deter the woodpeckers. Some boxes have more protection than others. They are still likely to try to raid the nests and will probably succeed with some. It is not our intention to completely deprive the woodpeckers of part of their natural diet, just to give the smaller birds a better chance to defend their precious clutches.

One of the tragedies that came from a maintenance and cleaning visit was to find eggs in box no 20. Blue Tit and Great Tit eggs are very similar and I am not keen to commit myself to identify which species laid these eggs. The box was damaged by the woodpeckers during May and the resident pair of potential parents abandoned it without a fight. They will probably have moved on to another nesting site to try again. With a thicker front face, metal plates and wire mesh, perhaps they will put up more of a spirited defence next year.

On November 25th, a Great Tit was seen at the entrance to box 12. Surely it was too early to be selecting a nesting spot, but the boxes can act as shelters during the coldest of nights and  it is as well to have a mental map of potential refuges as the nights draw in.