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nest box tragedies
We have two nest boxes outside the front of our house. One (with three entrances) is theoretically for sparrows (who are apparently supposed to like nesting comunally) and the other is a blue tit box.
Several weeks ago a pair of blue tits (http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/blue-tit.htm) took up residence in the 'sparrow' box. Recently, the eggs hatched and this last week we've regularly seen them flying into the box to feed the young. They reappeared every minute or two with a caterpillar or something small and soft. The parents who had been trim, crisp birds a few weeks ago now look incredibly tatty and ragged.
This morning, a couple of great tits (http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/g/greattit/index.asp) started looking around. One of the pair seemed interested in one of the boxes and the other in the other box.
Sadly, the consensus fell on the box that was already occupied rather than the one that was empty.
My poor little tatty blue tit didn't stand a chance. The slightly larger and fitter great tits could get into the box whether he wanted them to or not.
I'm not sure what the status quo is at the moment. Both sets of birds appear to be visiting the box; the great tits are bringing in nesting material, but the blue tits are still making visits as well.
Are the baby blue tits still alive? Will the great tits harm them? How long will the blue tits try and feed them (and they were good parents making very frequent visits) if there are other birds around?
The box is theoretically big enough to hold more than one nest - it was intended for communal sparrows after all. Is it possible that both sets of parents of two different species could rear young in the same box?
Ten minutes later - haven't seen any blue tits enter the box in ten mins, while the great tits have been back and forth several times with beaks full of moss, and fibre nicked from a hanging basket across the road.
I think my poor baby blue tits may starve to death - assuming that the great tits haven't hurt them (they aren't meat eaters, so would not attack them as food).
They're a very handsome pair of great tits, and I'm sure they'll rear a good brood of chicks, but I'm still not feeling very charitable towards them...
Several weeks ago a pair of blue tits (http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/blue-tit.htm) took up residence in the 'sparrow' box. Recently, the eggs hatched and this last week we've regularly seen them flying into the box to feed the young. They reappeared every minute or two with a caterpillar or something small and soft. The parents who had been trim, crisp birds a few weeks ago now look incredibly tatty and ragged.
This morning, a couple of great tits (http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/g/greattit/index.asp) started looking around. One of the pair seemed interested in one of the boxes and the other in the other box.
Sadly, the consensus fell on the box that was already occupied rather than the one that was empty.
My poor little tatty blue tit didn't stand a chance. The slightly larger and fitter great tits could get into the box whether he wanted them to or not.
I'm not sure what the status quo is at the moment. Both sets of birds appear to be visiting the box; the great tits are bringing in nesting material, but the blue tits are still making visits as well.
Are the baby blue tits still alive? Will the great tits harm them? How long will the blue tits try and feed them (and they were good parents making very frequent visits) if there are other birds around?
The box is theoretically big enough to hold more than one nest - it was intended for communal sparrows after all. Is it possible that both sets of parents of two different species could rear young in the same box?
Ten minutes later - haven't seen any blue tits enter the box in ten mins, while the great tits have been back and forth several times with beaks full of moss, and fibre nicked from a hanging basket across the road.
I think my poor baby blue tits may starve to death - assuming that the great tits haven't hurt them (they aren't meat eaters, so would not attack them as food).
They're a very handsome pair of great tits, and I'm sure they'll rear a good brood of chicks, but I'm still not feeling very charitable towards them...
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