Unsung heros! (1 Viewer)

I met a couple of men today who've been installing and maintaining Pied Flycatcher nest boxes in the South Lakes for 40 years.
Without their dedication I wonder what would have happened to the population of these birds around here.As it is there are a fair few people carrying on this work in the Lakes so consequently Pied Flycatchers are not difficult to find in many woods nearby.
I'd never met either before but it turned out I'd be in contact by email.
On two separate occasions I found a couple of damaged boxes.I was put in touch with the two ringers responsible for the boxes.It was only when I was talking to them today it dawned on me these were the two people I'd emailed to report the broken boxes.
They had duly replaced them and I discovered today that each box was occupied this Spring with an adult plus eggs.
Great news!

Boxes wouldn't be so important if people didn't keep (a) cutting down trees in general and (b) cutting down old, dying or dead trees that get full of holes and crevices to avoid any part of them killing one of those over-stocked and verminously destructive humans....

Good effort all the same.

John

There's a guy who's been doing the same in Cheshire, sadly to no avail for the last few years

Mike C said:

There's a guy who's been doing the same in Cheshire, sadly to no avail for the last few years

Click to expand...

Good for him for trying.
Up here the nest box workers are having better success.
The latest published report showed there were 45 separate locations where there were records of breeding.
The woods around here are tailor made for Pied Flycatcher and the keep on coming back year after year.
I do wonder what will happen when they can no longer carry on doing this work.They aren't getting any younger.
Do the wildlife organisations do any of this sort of nest box schemes away from their reserves?
The only people I know of are lone wolves.If say the RSPB or Wildlife Trusts co ordinated the work they could at least either use their own staff or organise these schemes on an ongoing basis and recruit volunteers.

My friend has "his scheme" on National Trust property.
As he passes 70 he in a year or two will have to reconsider but has the assurance of the local management people to carry on his good work - should the flycatchers return