...so far there are 4 eggs in NB-3.
I managed to get a snapshot this evening. She has been very deligent at keeping her
eggs hidden!
Semi-Live Image (IR)
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Upgrade in progress....for more info check out posts...
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
4 Eggs
Easter will not be egg-less!
...so far there are 4 eggs in NB-3.
I managed to get a snapshot this evening. She has been very deligent at keeping her
eggs hidden!
...so far there are 4 eggs in NB-3.
I managed to get a snapshot this evening. She has been very deligent at keeping her
eggs hidden!
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Continued Attacks...
At about 14:00 whilst the Great Tit female was sitting in NB-2 (nesting box #2) just "relaxing", a Tree Sparrow suddenly entered the nesting box and attacked the female. The fight was brutal and the Sparrow clearly had the upperhand.
I only noticed this later on my display and noticed that the Freat Tit female was perched in the tree in what seemed to be a state of shock. Indeed she was very still, and did not notice what was going on around her. I opened the garden door and whilst the other birds flew away, she remained there without even noticing me. I did not want to distress her further and therefore did not leave the house. She remained in the tree in the very same position for at least 10-15 minutes. It was quite discomforting. In the meantime a Tree Sparrow again entered the nesting box. Some time passed and a Tree Sparrow again entered NB-2. At this point I entered the garden and moving to NB-2 I moved it around it. My intention (though perhaps not very "scientist that does not get involved") was to scare the Sparrow and thus discourage it from again entering the box in the future. It did get scared, that is for sure. From a scientific point of view I am definitely not proud of what I have done, from a maternal point of view I feel that I have done nothing wrong.
The floor of NB-2 is covered in small black feathers, a clear indication of the brutality of the fight which took place in it. The female Great Tit had almost completed the nest as the attack occured. Indeed she had started carrying in the "soft" material used for padding. I wonder how come the Tree Sparrows allowed the Great Tit to get so far with nest building and only just today mounted an attack.
I wonder if the female Great Tit will return, I wonder if the Sparrows will continue with the attacks and I wonder if they will even maybe destroy the eggs should the Great Tit lay any.
Only time will tell. At any rate, at this point in the afternoon, the birds tend to be somewhere else and thus I shall have to wait 'til tomorrow.
I only noticed this later on my display and noticed that the Freat Tit female was perched in the tree in what seemed to be a state of shock. Indeed she was very still, and did not notice what was going on around her. I opened the garden door and whilst the other birds flew away, she remained there without even noticing me. I did not want to distress her further and therefore did not leave the house. She remained in the tree in the very same position for at least 10-15 minutes. It was quite discomforting. In the meantime a Tree Sparrow again entered the nesting box. Some time passed and a Tree Sparrow again entered NB-2. At this point I entered the garden and moving to NB-2 I moved it around it. My intention (though perhaps not very "scientist that does not get involved") was to scare the Sparrow and thus discourage it from again entering the box in the future. It did get scared, that is for sure. From a scientific point of view I am definitely not proud of what I have done, from a maternal point of view I feel that I have done nothing wrong.
The floor of NB-2 is covered in small black feathers, a clear indication of the brutality of the fight which took place in it. The female Great Tit had almost completed the nest as the attack occured. Indeed she had started carrying in the "soft" material used for padding. I wonder how come the Tree Sparrows allowed the Great Tit to get so far with nest building and only just today mounted an attack.
I wonder if the female Great Tit will return, I wonder if the Sparrows will continue with the attacks and I wonder if they will even maybe destroy the eggs should the Great Tit lay any.
Only time will tell. At any rate, at this point in the afternoon, the birds tend to be somewhere else and thus I shall have to wait 'til tomorrow.
Current Situation in the 3 Nesting Boxes
I have been away for a week ca. and therefore unable to keep up-to-date with events.
When I got back yesterday I found out:
1. In the office nesting box (NB-3) 1 egg had been laid. I presume this was laid in the morning of the 16.04.2011. This morning however, the egg was covered, so I could not see if there are 2 by now.
2. In the large nesting box (NB-1) the Tree Sparrows build a nesting by using a large amount of material...it is pretty amazing actually. They covered the entire surface with nesting material and thus brought the floor to a height which is now about 1-2 cm below the entrance hole. The entrance to the nest itself is on the farside of the box. The nest floor is lower than the surrounding floor and the nest is covered on the top. The inner nest volume thus assumes a spherical shape and 3/4ths of its surface area is covered with material.
3. The Great Tit female with the spot on her head (the one that lost the large nesting box to the Sparrows) has started building a nest in the smaller nesting box (NB-2). I am happy that she has taken up this second nesting box.
Due to the fact that the sparrow nest is so complex, and due to the fact that so much material was carried inside the box, 2 of the 3 cameras are completely covered in material and no longer have optical access to the nest. The 3rd camera mounted on the top has a very reduced optical access (less than 1/4th). Last night we therefore (after sunset) made a blitz modification (ca. 1 hour) to the nesting box and added a 4th camera to the box. The camera is mounted from the outside and allows a partial view of the nest. Although I will probably not be able to see how many eggs will be laid, I will hopefully be able to follow the general developments.
When I got back yesterday I found out:
1. In the office nesting box (NB-3) 1 egg had been laid. I presume this was laid in the morning of the 16.04.2011. This morning however, the egg was covered, so I could not see if there are 2 by now.
2. In the large nesting box (NB-1) the Tree Sparrows build a nesting by using a large amount of material...it is pretty amazing actually. They covered the entire surface with nesting material and thus brought the floor to a height which is now about 1-2 cm below the entrance hole. The entrance to the nest itself is on the farside of the box. The nest floor is lower than the surrounding floor and the nest is covered on the top. The inner nest volume thus assumes a spherical shape and 3/4ths of its surface area is covered with material.
3. The Great Tit female with the spot on her head (the one that lost the large nesting box to the Sparrows) has started building a nest in the smaller nesting box (NB-2). I am happy that she has taken up this second nesting box.
Due to the fact that the sparrow nest is so complex, and due to the fact that so much material was carried inside the box, 2 of the 3 cameras are completely covered in material and no longer have optical access to the nest. The 3rd camera mounted on the top has a very reduced optical access (less than 1/4th). Last night we therefore (after sunset) made a blitz modification (ca. 1 hour) to the nesting box and added a 4th camera to the box. The camera is mounted from the outside and allows a partial view of the nest. Although I will probably not be able to see how many eggs will be laid, I will hopefully be able to follow the general developments.
Saturday, 9 April 2011
WAR of the Birds....
To my astonishment, the situation changed dramatically yesterday afternoon as a pair of Eurasian Tree Sparrows entered the large nesting box and starting adding nesting material to the already started Great Tit nest.
At around 14:00 the Great Tit female entered the nest whilst a Sparrow was also inside. A fight ensued which was quickly became a fight between all 4 birds. The male Great Tit entered the nest and also attacked the Sparrow.
After a tumoltous fight, the Tits left the nest. A few minutes later, the Tits again entered the nest and again a fight ensued. Again, the Great Tits left the nest.
After a short pause, the Sparrows started, or rather continues building. It thus apeared that the Sparrows had successfully defeated the Great Tits.
Later that evening, I found out that the Sparrows had started building a nest in the second, smaller nesting box. for some reason, the then decided to continue building in the larger box during the noon hours, during which the Great Tit female paused from nest building.
This morning, the fight continued. The Great Tit female entered the nest various times and fixed it without carrying further material inside the nest. It thus appeared that the Great Tits had not given up on the nest.
With both bird pairs perching in the tree next to the box, several disputes were triggered between the two bird pairs. The most interesting aspects of the disputes were that the Sparrows were more united than the Great Tits where the female performed most of the aggressive stances.
The Sparrows entered the box repeatedly whilst the Great Tits were still in the tree and placed themselves such as to block the entrance of the box. Indeed it could have been interpreted as an attempt of the two Sparrows to block the entrance of the box and thus prevent the Tits from entering.
The disputes continued throughtout the morning and into the early afternoon. After that I no longer observed the Great Tits in the tree or in the vicinity of the large nesting box. In the morning, they had briefly examined the smaller box which also triggered a dispute between the two bird species.
I wonder whether the Sparrows have now taken the larger nesting box and will allow other birds to nest in the smaller box or whether their territory extends to include the smaller nesting box. I also wonder whether the Great Tits will again show themselves tomorrow morning, or whether they have moved on to another nesting location.
The female Great Tit had begung building the nest on the 31. of March. What I also noticed was that whilst only the female Great Tit is responsible for nest building, it appears that both Sparrows are involved in nest building.
I wonder, I wonder....
At around 14:00 the Great Tit female entered the nest whilst a Sparrow was also inside. A fight ensued which was quickly became a fight between all 4 birds. The male Great Tit entered the nest and also attacked the Sparrow.
After a tumoltous fight, the Tits left the nest. A few minutes later, the Tits again entered the nest and again a fight ensued. Again, the Great Tits left the nest.
After a short pause, the Sparrows started, or rather continues building. It thus apeared that the Sparrows had successfully defeated the Great Tits.
Later that evening, I found out that the Sparrows had started building a nest in the second, smaller nesting box. for some reason, the then decided to continue building in the larger box during the noon hours, during which the Great Tit female paused from nest building.
This morning, the fight continued. The Great Tit female entered the nest various times and fixed it without carrying further material inside the nest. It thus appeared that the Great Tits had not given up on the nest.
With both bird pairs perching in the tree next to the box, several disputes were triggered between the two bird pairs. The most interesting aspects of the disputes were that the Sparrows were more united than the Great Tits where the female performed most of the aggressive stances.
The Sparrows entered the box repeatedly whilst the Great Tits were still in the tree and placed themselves such as to block the entrance of the box. Indeed it could have been interpreted as an attempt of the two Sparrows to block the entrance of the box and thus prevent the Tits from entering.
The disputes continued throughtout the morning and into the early afternoon. After that I no longer observed the Great Tits in the tree or in the vicinity of the large nesting box. In the morning, they had briefly examined the smaller box which also triggered a dispute between the two bird species.
I wonder whether the Sparrows have now taken the larger nesting box and will allow other birds to nest in the smaller box or whether their territory extends to include the smaller nesting box. I also wonder whether the Great Tits will again show themselves tomorrow morning, or whether they have moved on to another nesting location.
The female Great Tit had begung building the nest on the 31. of March. What I also noticed was that whilst only the female Great Tit is responsible for nest building, it appears that both Sparrows are involved in nest building.
I wonder, I wonder....
Sunday, 3 April 2011
High Temperatures
I am quite amazed...it is only the 3rd of April and we have already experienced temperatures in the upper 20s.
Nest building continues at a slow pace.
Nest building continues at a slow pace.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Nest Building Has Begun!
In the new advanced, enlarged, improved, sensor equipped, over-kill, nesting box, nest building have finally started!
The Great Tit female with a spot on her head started carrying nesting material inside the box today.
I must check the other nesting box this evening to see whether "building efforts" are being undertaken in there as well...
In the old nesting box which I now hung outside my office window, a Blue Tit pair is busy doing what ever it is they are doing. The female Blue Tit sometimes carries material to the nest. Most of it is dropped before she enters. She spends much time inside the nest. It appears as though it is her first time and she is not quite sure what she should do hence the nervous moving moss-bits around.
The Great Tit female with a spot on her head started carrying nesting material inside the box today.
I must check the other nesting box this evening to see whether "building efforts" are being undertaken in there as well...
In the old nesting box which I now hung outside my office window, a Blue Tit pair is busy doing what ever it is they are doing. The female Blue Tit sometimes carries material to the nest. Most of it is dropped before she enters. She spends much time inside the nest. It appears as though it is her first time and she is not quite sure what she should do hence the nervous moving moss-bits around.
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