Three years ago I put up a nest box hoping to get a colourful woodland bird known as a redstart to use it. This year I finally had success.
The nest box
The nest with 4 eggs eventually 6 were laid .
Of the 6 eggs 4 hatched
Only 2 chicks out of the 4 survived however
The chicks and adults will shortly be migrating to African for the winter but hopefully I'll see them in the garden again next Spring.
The handling and ringing of the chicks was done by a fully qualified ringer by the way.
Here's what an adult male redstart looks like
Earlier on in the nesting season a pair of Blue tits occupied another box. One day I happened to look out the window to see a woodpecker with a mossy nest in it's bill which it had extracted from the box. I rushed outside, startling the woodpecker which then dropped the nest. Luckily it had not yet found and eaten the eggs. I replaced the nest back inside the box and carefully returned the eggs (which were loose at the bottom of the box) to the nest. I then placed a wire mesh over the box which allowed enough access for the parent birds but would keep the woodpecker out. Eventually all the eggs hatched and all the young flew. :)
I know this could be see as interfering in the processes of nature, IE, predator and prey relationships, but I figured that I had 'invited' the birds to nest in the box and therefore had a 'duty' to protect them and their nest, osit.
The nest box
The nest with 4 eggs eventually 6 were laid .
Of the 6 eggs 4 hatched
Only 2 chicks out of the 4 survived however
The chicks and adults will shortly be migrating to African for the winter but hopefully I'll see them in the garden again next Spring.
The handling and ringing of the chicks was done by a fully qualified ringer by the way.
Here's what an adult male redstart looks like
Earlier on in the nesting season a pair of Blue tits occupied another box. One day I happened to look out the window to see a woodpecker with a mossy nest in it's bill which it had extracted from the box. I rushed outside, startling the woodpecker which then dropped the nest. Luckily it had not yet found and eaten the eggs. I replaced the nest back inside the box and carefully returned the eggs (which were loose at the bottom of the box) to the nest. I then placed a wire mesh over the box which allowed enough access for the parent birds but would keep the woodpecker out. Eventually all the eggs hatched and all the young flew. :)
I know this could be see as interfering in the processes of nature, IE, predator and prey relationships, but I figured that I had 'invited' the birds to nest in the box and therefore had a 'duty' to protect them and their nest, osit.
