THE BLUE TITS IN MY GARDEN NESTBOX ARE THRIVING

For several years there’s been a nestbox fixed to an apple tree in the garden. It is a homemade job and blue tits quickly took to nesting in it. The birds were late nesting this year but finally I counted nine eggs in the box. Taking a careful look yesterday I was pleased to be met with nine gaping mouths.

Last year was a disaster for the blue tits in the nestbox.  A split down one side of the box was widened by Jackdaws and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. The split was widened sufficiently for the Woodpecker to insert its beak and try to drag one of the chicks out by its leg.

A makeshift repair using a piece of insulating tape might have helped but I missed counting the number of chicks which fledged. At the end of the season when I cleaned out the box there were two eggs and the legless chick. I replaced the split side during the winter months so this year the birds have a smart refurbished box to enjoy.