Garden Railway Forum

Quite early this year and in spite of temperatures below zero my bird box has found inhabitants:

https://ipcamlive.com/65dc65a9b6422

Homebuilt bird box with a small camera hidden in the false ceiling.
The camera points downwards into the nest.

Good luck. Hoping you have a successful brood. Are they Blue Tit's?

Yes, blue tits every year, even though last year I made a bigger box intended for starlings.
The blue tits moved in anyway....

When the small ones have hatched I always offer a small plate of mealworms every day.
After a few days I could sit at the garden table with mother bird landing in the centre of the table to pick up the worms.
she came within 1m distance.

Highlight last year was, after many failed attempts, she even came to get the worms while I was holding the plate in my hand.
Seems to have got used to me being there.

I would like to know if these are the same birds that had been there last year, or even birds that were born here last year.

I think it is fascinating how a bird of that size can lay 13 eggs and how quickly the eggs become complete birds.

I finally got a picture on the camera, I kept looking at it in the morning Aust time so it would have been night in UK forgot about timezones, this time it is night and now do not see any birds have they all left?
If they have that is a pity as I like birds.

Because of the weather, nest building seems to be paused.

Scrat wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2025 2:02 pm Because of the weather, nest building seems to be paused.

So no eggs at this time?
Will just have to check each night

UPDATE!!!

The cold spell in March stopped them from finishing the nest.
I cleaned the box in April.
Now, new birds have moved in and are building a nest.

https://www.ipcamlive.com/65dc65a9b6422

We've had a bird box for many years but only twice has it been used, even though we've tried moving it in case it's in the wrong location. We regularly have Blue Tits in the garden but they just come for free food, not nesting!

We do have Blackbird nests though, one pair have just raised their 2nd brood this year.

We also have a very cheeky Robin who has started coming indoors through the open front door, if we haven't actually put Mealworms outside on the bench for him!

Last year mother bird followed me into my garage and shed and removed all the spiders there.
Helpful bird...

Here we go again.
Same link as last year:

https://www.ipcamlive.com/65dc65a9b6422

Anyone know where you can get bird box kits? Something I like the idea of for my dads birthday.
Thanks

Hi,

this was no kit.
I made the bird box myself. Plans are available on the internet.
To accomodate the camera I made the box 5 cm higher and added a fake veiling.
The camera I use is a HiKam S6 (cheap china stuff). As the casing is round with a flange it drops right into the hole in the fake ceiling.
I turned the internal IR-LEDs off in order not to disturb the birds.

This year the nest is not in the centre of the box fir the first time.
But when the little birds grow bigger they will be more visible.