Nest
box team activity update 9/5/2024
With the warming, drier weather the wildlife on site has been showing a lot of activity and the nest box monitoring team have been working to keep up with that pace. The team has continued to work together and welcomed new members to monitor the activity of the small bird nest boxes around the site. By 7th May, most of the small bird nest boxes have had at least 3 regular visits this season with evidence that breeding activity is well established We have been trying out new methods of less intrusive monitoring by using endoscopic camera surveillance. This has proven very successful as a way of checking for any nesting activity and is much less disruptive if we find a bird sitting on the nest rather than opening the nest boxes, of which 17 adult birds were seen in nest boxes on the last check.
We have
taken advantage of the opportunity to form closer links with the team who ring
birds on site, meeting up with them on 5th May, when they were
undertaking one of their surveys. This was a great opportunity for sharing
information about the nest boxes and ringing procedures. We checked a few boxes
together with the endoscope and having found an adult bird on the nest, were
all impressed at the outcome when the ring number was checked. This blue tit had laid 3 eggs at the time of
nest box checking 2 weeks earlier and had been rung in the intervening period
clearly without too much distress, as there were now 8 eggs visualised when the
adult’s ring was being checked.
We have very
good news that of the 130 boxes on site, 60% show some nesting activity, 25
have eggs visualised and there were 17 birds on nests as at their last visits, 7
of these had previous eggs visualised. There were also 6 naked chicks seen at
the last check.
However, all these nests are providing a plentiful buffet for predators. In April a weasel was identified at nest box (and photographed), and other birds and their nests have been predated by squirrels, stoats and weasels. The stoat found was very quick indeed!
.
Whilst some
birds utilise the boxes, others have chosen to find their own accommodation. A
pair of woodpeckers have been seen forming their own home and now sitting on
the nest. A pair of resourceful coal tits utilised a nest box left outside a
building and have raised a brood.
Although it was hoped that the Barn Owls which had been seen around site were going to use the boxes provided, there is no evidence of this. Two have been taken over by Jackdaws, one currently with 5 eggs and monitored by the box camera.
Tawny owls
have been seen around the site, but at least one of the tawny boxes is being
used by stock doves.
A big thank you for all the hard work that the nest box team is putting in to monitor a range of our woodland breeding birds.
