The more I know, the more...

...I know that I know nothing compare to all that there is that could be known.

It is the one amazing thing about bird watching, about science, about knowledge in general.

Much of what we do, think, much of how we act and interpret the world around us is based on strings of observations, some related some unrelated. We fill in the gaps and construct what we call knowledge.

Data - information - knowledge. There is a great deal of processing along the way.

I have now observed Great Tits building nests for the past 10+ years and had established what I thought was a solid hypothesis that Great Tits build their nests mostly out of moss, some dried grass and some soft material, like animal fur.

I always examined the nests once their owners had left and the hatchlings too. And twigs were just not in the mix.


In an earlier post this week (Just when things start getting exciting...) I commented on the fact that the nesting box was filled with twigs, thin ones, but twigs nonetheless. I conjectured that Eurasian Tree Sparrows might have been active in the nesting box as this is what I had observed in the past.

Well, my friendly readers, I was wrong. Or rather, I now think that I was wrong.

Why Sherlock?

Simple dear Watson!

Today, I observed, for the first time since bird watching, the female Great Tit bring in twigs. Together with some dried grass and moss, she did bring in a significant amount of small twigs.

Now, the question is: was I blind all these years?
Or is something different this year?
Or is this a revolutionary birdy that has decided to do things differently?

So now another chapter begins in the Nistkasten Adventure.

Oh, and Blue Tit also flew past, and peered inside. The season is starting sizzle with nestbox hunting. Oh! how I love it!!