Bird Cam 2004/2005

24/5/05. Saw one of the newly fledged blue tit babies in a tree near the house. It seemed very unsteady on its legs, and was being fed by a parent, and was looking sooooo cute! Also cute was this little frog which joined me while spending an evening gardening.

22/5/05. Sunday evening and back from Whitby. The blue tits have fledged from the back nest box over the weekend, but they were very vocal on Friday afternoon so it was expected. No evidence of dead chicks either which is good. Some of the nesting material had been pulled out through the nest box hole, but the next day the material was all inside the box again.

15/5/05. This evening there was plainly audible cheeping coming from the back nest box for the first time, and Mum and Dad blue tit are very busy going to and fro with food. They don't seem to mind people going into the shed about 10 feet away either.

14/5/05. We went to Paxton Pits to hear nightingales today. And we were lucky enough to not only hear but see a nightingale (see below), plus plenty of other birds too. Thanks Richard for these photos.

24/4/05. Unfortunately there is still nothing happening in the Bird Cam nest box. However, the blue tit pair have been very active around the back nest box bringing food into the box etc. (see picture). But with no camera in the back nest box, I doubt we'll be seeing any chicks this year until possibly fledging. Oh well, let's hope for better luck next year.

3/4/05. The amount of material in the nest box has been building up gradually over February and March, as a collection of strands of grass and moss etc. However, upon returning home after three weeks in the States, I found that this whole nest cup had been built! I waited to see Bluey arrive back home for the night but he never came. I do not know whether he is gone, is dead, has moved out, or if this is normal behaviour for blue tits once the nights get milder and nesting begins. Will have to just keep an eye out. On a happier note, a quick peek in the other nest box (with no camera) revealed that this box also contains a well formed nest cup, which is great for a new box in its first year up.

29/1/05: This weekend is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, and so here we are at my Birdwatch Brunch spotting birds in my garden (while eating scones and cake). You can see my Bird Cam monitor in the right of this picture too.

26/1/05: Thanks to Andrew doing some expert re-wiring, Bird Cam is now back up and running. Our blue tit continues to come home each night to sleep. Not much change from before Christmas, but there is definitely more moss and other material that has been brought into the nest box.

5/1/05: Bird Cam is temporarily offline, due to a mouse chewing through the cable! I will get Andrew to finish off the cabling properly, and hopefully it'll be back working soon. Our blue tit has been coming in to roost before dusk (around 4pm) and leaving at around 7.30am every day. Even on Christmas day (watched by my family after Christmas dinner).

7/12/04: Had breakfast watching our blue tit waking up, stretching and preening before finally setting off for the day at 7.25am.

5/12/04: Happy Birthday Susan & Claudia!!!! Anyway, Bluey came back again this evening, even after disrupting his nest box by taping up the draughts round the camera. Managed to snap him before he fell asleep too (around 4pm!).

....just got home and had a preen......   ....think I fancy this corner tonight................and asleep.

4/12/04: After disruption from the fence being repaired, Bird Cam is now up and running in our garden. And we have the first picture of our resident blue tit all curled up asleep to prove it!