2012: Will Bird History Repeat Itself?

Here we are again, a new year, a new spring, hopefully no new territorial fights.
I fear that bird history too has a tendency to repeat itself. Great Tits vs. Eurasian Tree Sparrows.

But let me go back in time in bird history....

I removed the Sparrows' nest not too long ago. The delay due to our very long holiday. Sparrows had obviously visted the nest and I decided, for fear of parasites, to remove it. And so I did. Sparrows visited the nest again. I cannot say for certain if it was the female or the male, but if the past few years of bird-watching have taught me something, then we could continue bird history on the assumption that it was the male Sparrow. I never saw the two birds together in the nesting box. But the male brought twigs inside the box and called insistingly to the female. This happened on Tuesday and ever since Sparrow visits and sightings have been reduced in number.
At the same time, Great Tits have been visiting the nest: the male jumping in, calling to the female and flying out once she has entered.

Some of you may recall: last year the Great Tit female had being building since about 4-5 days when Eurasian Tree Sparrows decided they wanted the nest. Sparrows are no match for the Great Tits and thus, after a quite violent fight, the Great Tits were forced to retreat. They did not give up the nest so easily, returning every day to check, but the Sparrows would not give way.

So will bird history repeat itself. I sincerily hope not. I enjoyed observing the dynamics of Sparrow nest-building, brooding, feeding, etc. but I would like to have a chance of re-observing these same phases with the Great Tits. The differences between the species is immense and fascinating.

I have only one other nesting box (NB-4) this year in my garden. The opening hole is 28mm in diameter. I had hoped for Blue Tits, but so far no sign of them. If no Blue Tits show any interest, and if bird history is to repeat itself, then I will change the front covering of NB-4 to one with a 32mm hole and thus hopefully have a fall-back nesting box for the Great Tits.

Here is the happy couple:



The male is quite diligent and has already fed the female while she was busy building the nest.

Side note: I am designing my very own self-sustaining nesting box (I will talk in more detail about it as I go), and am considering having a 30mm entrance hole. I wonder if that is small enough to allow Great Tits to enter but to stop Sparrows from entering.

2011 Nesting Box Timelines

2011 Events in Nesting Box #1 (NB-1)
2011.05.14 - Hatchling eyes are "slit"-open
2011.05.09 - Hatchlings present (chirping heard!)
2011.05.08 - 1st observed worm transport in nest
2011.04.26 - 1st night in which Tree Sparrw sleeps in nest (hypothesis: brooding has started)
2011.04.11 - Eurasian Tree Sparrow nest building
2011.04.11 - Disputes between the Sparrows and Great Tit occur in tree next to NB-1
2011.04.10 - Great Tit female returns to NB-1 but Tree Sparrows defend overtaken NB-1
2011.04.09 - Tree Sparrows attack Great Tit female and overtake NB-1. Sparrow start nest building over Great Tit nest
2011.03.31 - Great Tit female starts nesting bulding

2011 Events in Nesting Box #4 (NB-4)
2011.05.14 - Great Tit females still spends considerable time in nesting box during the day but no eggs laid so far
2010.04.22 - Great Tit female sleeps in nesting box for the 1st time (i.e. hypothesis 1 egg layed)
2010.04.21 - Switch NB-2 body to NB-4 body for optical (camera) access. Great Tit female continues to build nest.
2011.04.18 - Placing of NB-4 and almost immediate start of nest building by Great Tit. Sparrows acknowledge existence of nest (no attacks witnessed).

Some go, some come...

...and some remain with many questions unanswered....

The curious observer might have noticed that the young Tree Sparrows left the nest. To be exact they left at around 11 am on the 24th of May. The Blue Tits in NB-3 left between 7:30 and 11 am on the 26th of May.

After the Tree Sparrows left, I thought I should remove the nest (I had read something along the lines: remove the nest due to potential flees etc.) and so I removed it. On second thoughts, however decided to reinsert the nest. Considering effort which had gone into building it, I thought, that perhaps the sparrows would not want to build a second one. And so I reinserted the nest. I agree, it is not really a non-interference policy which I am following. It is difficult to decide what is best and given that observing them is already interference per se, given that building a house which removes natural reproduction areas and living in said house is also interference, I no longer know if it is at all non-hypocritical to say: observe is not interference but intervention is interference.

I am digressing.

At any rate I reinserted the nest and well today there have been visits. I have not yet been able to establish the nature of the visitor, but will be able to do so later.

Interestingly enough after the Tree Sparrows left, they were gone. Completely gone. I have not yet seen another Tree Sparrow since they left. I wonder where they are. I wonder if the parents led the young ones to feeding grounds in the fields, or in the woods, or near the river. I have no idea. The Great Tits last year could still be seen after 1 month of their leaving the nest. The differences between the species are intriguing!

I will be posting some videos of both the Tree Sparrows and Blue Tits in the next couple of days.

The Courage of Jumping into Emptiness

It is really funny to observe how the young birds prepare to depart. It is an amazing process.

One birdy hangs with half its body outside of the nesting box, the other half in the warmth of the box, waiting impatiently for an adult bird to come along and bring food. The desire to fly out is present but the missing courage to jump into emptiness is palpable. And thus the birdy waits for just one more round of feeding. Each time the excitement increases and the tiny feathered body slips just a couple millimeters further out of the box. In the meantime, in the back the excitement also grows as the remaining birdies unable to look out and be feed chirp incessently. Some test their wings other sinply hop about pushing whilst waiting in line for their turn at the entrance hole. The tension grows. The birdy slips one more time, a parent comes by bringing food taunting it to fly out. The birdy streches itself towards the parent. A few more millimeters of fragile birdy body hang out of the box, and then fear, it quickly pulls back.

The next birdy in line immediately hops foward and fills the hole but with only its head showing and it all starts over again millimeter by millimeter until the excitement is just too much to bare for just one young tiny birdy.

Pre-Departure Commotion?

18:59: I think the hatchling as almost ready to leave the nest.
I have the feeling that they are bring invited by one (or both parents) to leave the warm and comfort of the nesting box. The parent bird flies to the entrance of the box and then flies away again. Sometimes it has a worm in its beak. The hatchlings are really active and are continously chirping. I wonder if the hatchlings will leave tonight or not. Last year the Great Tits left at 8 pm so it is not too late yet.

Sparrow Photos

It is now 21:16 and the hatchlings made their way by themselves back into the dome-protected nest. The mother Sparrow has not yet shown herself. Last night she slept near the nest but still within the nesting box. I wonder now whether something has happened to her or whether she now, given the size of the hatchlings, no longer sleeps in the nesting box (which is though suprising since there is enough space). In addition, I noticed, that the frequency with which the hathclings were fed this evening was quite low. I really hope nothings has happened.

Growing Fast

The four Sparrow hathclings are growing incredibly fast! In the last couple of days, the four occupy the outer spaces of the nest and no longer wait in the dome-protected nest area for the parents to arrive with food. In the semi-"live" stream it thus frequently happens that the image appears to be filled with a bird-body.

Yesterday, one hungry hatchling waiting...


and demanding...


Today, hatchling-traffic at nest entrance:



I image that they will be soon 2 weeks old. I hope they fly out when I am at home.