Nest Box Diary 2007

Week 5 - 8th April

Hokey, our female Blue Tit, was not seen in or around the nest box on Sunday (8th) until about 8PM in the evening. Within about half an hour, she was fast asleep, her head tucked into her shoulder feathers. This was the first time she roosted in the nest box.

The following day, she brought a few more beakful's of hair to the nest but rarely did she remove them. Around midday, she brought a downy feather into the nest box - and then the fun began! First, she tossed the feather to one side, but it landed on her back, so round and round she turned trying to dislodge it. When it was finally shaken free, she flew out of the box with it. This was repeated another 15 times before she finally left it in the nest cup. During this feather farce, her mate, "Cokey", was heard giving his alarm call and so Hokey remained within the nest box, listening intently.

She spent the night in the nest box and left between 6:45 and 7:00 AM the following morning (10th). The next time we saw her was in the evening of the 12th when she arrived at about 7:30PM and settled down to roost, but then she had disappeared by 9PM and has not been seen in the nest box since.

On Saturday (14th), a male Blue Tit was seen displaying - gliding on outstretched wings towards another nest box in the garden - and a female was flying frantically back and forth. Alas, whether it is Hokey and Cokey or another pair, a nest is being built in another nest box - one that is not fitted with a camera.

"Hokey" arrives at about 8PM (8th)	Fast asleep a short time later (8th)
A feather is brought to the nest (9th)	Hokey roosted for a short time (12th)
Has the nest been deserted?	Oh no! Wrong nest box!