Nesting Tit behaviour (1 Viewer)

Is it normal for blue tits(?) to take nesting marerial into a nest box, and fetch it straight back out? I have been watching a tit, make and model unknown, do this for several days now. I estimate that there is about 2000 miles on the nest already, and it's not finished yet!

garforth29 said:

Is it normal for blue tits(?) to take nesting marerial into a nest box, and fetch it straight back out? I have been watching a tit, make and model unknown, do this for several days now. I estimate that there is about 2000 miles on the nest already, and it's not finished yet!

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Yes, and if you look at other recent postings you'll see others puzzled by similar behaviour. I've seen it with Blue and Great Tits, although the Starlings I watch seen to be particularly prone to the behaviour during the early stages of nesting! When a Starling has taken ages to manipulate a twig that is far too long into a box it really is puzzling when they then decide to struggle to take it out again! The behaviour does seem to virtually stop once the nest building process is well established.

I've not seen an explanation for the behaviour, but perhaps there's a clue in the fact that when Starlings are roosting in a box the female will spend perhaps a couple of hours thoroughly cleaning the box every morning. This instinct is still in place when the birds start to bring in nesting material and I suspect that for a while there is a clash/overlap between the two behaviours.

It's just a thought, but could this translate across to the Blue/Great Tit behaviour. They don't roost in my box, but prior to nesting they do ensure that any bits already in the box are cleared out first.

Does anybody have alternative suggestions?