Hi, i put up blue tit nestboxes over the winter and two seem to have prospective tennants.My only worry is that as the warmer weather approaches and my children start playing outside they will scare the birds off or prevent them returning to their nest often enough .I would hate them to abandon any eggs/chicks because of the children playing too near to the box.I feel silly that i didn't think of this when i put the boxes up but it was cold and the kids were not playing outside then.Does anyone know how much peace blue tits need,as i don't think i could keep the kids in all summer!!!
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Should i keep the kids out of the garden? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter tracy
- Start date
birdman
Орнитол&
My first answer would be a straight "No" you shouldn't keep the kids out of the garden... it's their garden too after all.
Also, where do you draw the line? Are the adults that are likely to be in your garden better behaved?
In all seriousness, if you do have tenants, then the likelihood is they have chosen your boxes for a variety of reasons.
But your question is very valid. In my (non-expert) opinion though, providing they feel safe in the boxes, and flying to and from, then any garden disturbance will probably be something they will cope with.
And after all, your kids wil scare away a number of predators!
However, it may be that the position of the boxes turns out to not be suitable after all... in which case, put it down to experience, and try somewhere different next year.
Also, where do you draw the line? Are the adults that are likely to be in your garden better behaved?
In all seriousness, if you do have tenants, then the likelihood is they have chosen your boxes for a variety of reasons.
But your question is very valid. In my (non-expert) opinion though, providing they feel safe in the boxes, and flying to and from, then any garden disturbance will probably be something they will cope with.
And after all, your kids wil scare away a number of predators!
However, it may be that the position of the boxes turns out to not be suitable after all... in which case, put it down to experience, and try somewhere different next year.
In my experience, not with children I might add, Blue Tits will continue to use nestboxes even when people are active in the garden, provided the activity isn't very close to the box. Have a 'no go' zone near the boxes and let the kids loose ...or pack them off to granny and then Blue Tits and you get a summer of peace and quiet! 
Incidently, the Blue Tits will fledge in June or thereabouts, so the main part of the summer the kids can do what they want
Incidently, the Blue Tits will fledge in June or thereabouts, so the main part of the summer the kids can do what they want
Well the Tits will get used to them from a distance when I had Great Tits move in for the first time I was pretty worried when I fill up the feeder & bath which pretty close to the box I thaught I'd scare them off but nothing happened I just filled them up as usual and when I left I saw them fly out (they be watching) also when we had a BBQ I put a chair round to where the box was close because there were kids playing football and I was bit worried incase they hitthe box so I told them that's why I had moved a chair over to near te nestbox for the birds safety.
david2004
Well-known member
Hi Tracy. Everyone else's advice is good. I had Blue Tits nesting in the garden last year. We are quite active in the garden with pets and children! We also had people round e.g. for BBQs.
Although the birds were high up (under eaves in House Martin nestcup!), we were quite near. It wasn't a problem. The Blue Tits either ignored us and went straight in, or waited. They would either fly away and come back later, or choose a suitable perch and wait until they thought no one was looking!
Hope that helps.
Although the birds were high up (under eaves in House Martin nestcup!), we were quite near. It wasn't a problem. The Blue Tits either ignored us and went straight in, or waited. They would either fly away and come back later, or choose a suitable perch and wait until they thought no one was looking!
Hope that helps.
nobby
Well-known member
Hi Tracy
My Blue Tit Box is about 7' up from my patio right next to the back door.
Over the last few weeks I have dug up the patio, smashed up the concrete base with a sledge hammer and hammer drill and relaid the slabs.
I have also painted the house wall (moving the nest box to a temp position while I painted).
During this time the nest box camera has recorded the Blue Tits in and out of the box nest building as usual.
The Gt Tits further down the garden have over the last few years continued to feed their chicks with us sitting a few feet away and my 3 kids playing football about 10' away.
I think your kids should be OK as long as they are aware of the nest box.
Brett.
http://uk.geocities.com/[email protected]/nest_box.htm
My Blue Tit Box is about 7' up from my patio right next to the back door.
Over the last few weeks I have dug up the patio, smashed up the concrete base with a sledge hammer and hammer drill and relaid the slabs.
I have also painted the house wall (moving the nest box to a temp position while I painted).
During this time the nest box camera has recorded the Blue Tits in and out of the box nest building as usual.
The Gt Tits further down the garden have over the last few years continued to feed their chicks with us sitting a few feet away and my 3 kids playing football about 10' away.
I think your kids should be OK as long as they are aware of the nest box.
Brett.
http://uk.geocities.com/[email protected]/nest_box.htm
make sure they don't go near it it be fine
Thanks for all your helpful replies,it is a relief to know that i won't have to keep the children indoors untill the end of june! Today the birds have been taking the fur my mum saved from her persian cat into the box so it should be nice and snug for them if they do use it.
edrick owl
edrick owl - a real twit
Hi Tracy
I agree with the earlier comments about a sort of "no-go" zone, but to this I would really only add the common sense view of don't let them keep banging a ball against the wall or box type advice.
Another view I would take is the wonderful chance you have to help the kids witness nature at first hand. Obviously I don't know you or your kids, but would they be interested enought to look forward to watching the young fledge, perhaps feed them mealworms from a tub, help "protect or monitor them" in their first few days of outside life? Perhaps help them with their reading as they learn about Blue Tits etc. It's just a thought.
Regards,
I agree with the earlier comments about a sort of "no-go" zone, but to this I would really only add the common sense view of don't let them keep banging a ball against the wall or box type advice.
Another view I would take is the wonderful chance you have to help the kids witness nature at first hand. Obviously I don't know you or your kids, but would they be interested enought to look forward to watching the young fledge, perhaps feed them mealworms from a tub, help "protect or monitor them" in their first few days of outside life? Perhaps help them with their reading as they learn about Blue Tits etc. It's just a thought.
Regards,
Rob Smallwood
Well-known member
Good advice - why not keep a diary that all the family add their observations to - it might make the children more interested and keen to observe rather than interfere - the temptation to look at a nest can be very strong.
Today while I was filling the feeder very close to the nestbox I noticed the Great Tit go straught in must of been watching me (they are still building the nest)
KnockerNorton
Well-known member
The main problem will be the day when they fledge. The young will be scattered all over the garden, in cover, at least for a few hours, and it might be an idea to not have a BBQ or mow the lawn that day. A constant presence could scatter the young, or cause some to be left behind when the family move off, and some may be on the ground in danger of being squished. Definately don't let the pets out that day.
Offord said:
This is good advice - with 12 nestboxes around the garden, the days when fledging is imminent is the one time of the year when my cat does get banned from the garden. Last year watched as a brood of Blue Tits left the box for the first time (interestingly, half left at dawn one morning, the other half the next morning), but two ended up sitting on the ground about 10 metres from the box, others in very low spots. Popped the grounded birds in an adjacent bush, but that first day would have been so easy for a cat or dog to snap them up.