Bluetits have moved in

[thebirdcam]

Hi everyone
I have had a Bluetit roosting in my nest box for about 3 - 4 weeks now. This is the new nest box I put up in November 03. I re-built last years box and put that back where it originally was. I have cameras in both boxes and fitted better lighting to them(thanks to Malcolm and Elizabeth Bigg for info) and the images are great this year. Box 2 seems to be the favourite so far this year but Box 1 has had some visits.

Does anyone know if my Boxes are too close to have breeding birds in both at the same time? They are about 20ft apart on the same side of the garage(you can see this from pics on my site). There are lots of Bluetits in the trees and bushes nearby, maybe some of last years young.

thebirdcam
http://thebirdcam.co.uk

[nobby]

I'm not sure but I know in my garden I have blue tits and great tits nesting within 20ft of each other. A spare box can be handy if the first box is abandoned. Last year a pair of blue tits had completed their nest in my willow tree when a bumble bee decided to nest in their box. They moved boxes the next day to one attached to my house.

Brett

[Norbert]

Does anyone know if my Boxes are too close to have breeding birds in both at the same time? They are about 20ft apart on the same side of the garage(you can see this from pics on my site). There are lots of Bluetits in the trees and bushes nearby, maybe some of last years young.
http://thebirdcam.co.uk

Don't know about this, but a few years ago I had blue tits in the nest box in my garden and robins nesting in some ivy no more than 20ft away

[trealawboy]

Don't know about this, but a few years ago I had blue tits in the nest box in my garden and robins nesting in some ivy no more than 20ft away

I have a small wood where I work. I erected 10 boxes in February (7 hole boxes with various hole sizes, 2 open front boxes and a treecreeper box).

I would say on average distance between each box is about 30-40m. Interestingly, I have 6 hole boxes all occupied by blue tits. They seem to tolerate other pairs nearby. Indeed two boxes, must be about 20m apart at most. One of these boxes is only 1m off the ground as I'd hoped to get a coal tit pait. I watched a great tit enlarge to hole on this box for about 10 minutes one day, only to find that it is now occupied by blue tits.

Despite providing suitable hole sizes for great tits, all boxes have blue tits in them. I reckon they either prefer or out compete great tits for nest boxes. I'm hoping a pied flycather will take the remaining box, when they arrive in the next few weeks.

[thebirdcam]

I'm not sure but I know in my garden I have blue tits and great tits nesting within 20ft of each other. A spare box can be handy if the first box is abandoned. Last year a pair of blue tits had completed their nest in my willow tree when a bumble bee decided to nest in their box. They moved boxes the next day to one attached to my house.

Brett

Well it looks like just one box will be used. Last years box has not seen much interest but nest building is well underway in the second.