Confused about my blue tits (2 Viewers)

[DeborahC]

Hello! I’m new to birdcamming, we’ve had a nest with a camera for 5 years and this is the first year we’ve had anything nest. We have blue tits and they’ve completed the nest, and on Sunday 17th the female very unusually entered the nest at around 7pm (they usually on go in in the morning) and spent around 90 mins looking like she was laying over and over. She would go very very still, then fluff up and fuss underneath her, then repeat around 6 times. She was exhausted and slept in the nest all night.
She left the following morning, I can’t see any eggs, and now she only pops in once a day but so briefly I don’t think she’s laying. I’ve recorded what she’s doing - see the link below.
Any clues what she was doing for 90 mins on Sunday and what she’s doing now?

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum.

I would imagine she is checking out and preparing the nest. Blue tits lay one egg a day.

 

[delia todd]

Hi Deborah and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. Tits only lay one egg per day, and then incubate them all at the same time, this ensures they all hatch together. This is unlike raptors, who space their eggs out over several days and start incubating immediately.

It's possible she's laid one and has covered it while she leaves. Or she's just busy making sure it is safe and comfortable when she finally does lay. Please let us know how it goes.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[Stonefaction]

Your Blue Tit appears to be a Great Tit, Deborah.

 

[KC Foggin]

Welcome aboard Deborah and please keep us updated.

 

[DeborahC]

Hi Deborah and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. Blue Tits only lay one egg per day, and then incubate them all at the same time, this ensures they all hatch together. This is unlike raptors, who space their eggs out over several days and start incubating immediately.

It's possible she's laid one and has covered it while she leaves. Or she's just busy making sure it is safe and comfortable when she finally does lay. Please let us know how it goes.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

Thank you! She’s actually in there right now doing the same thing as she did on Sunday so hopefully we’ll see eggs soon

 

[DeborahC]

Your Blue Tit appears to be a Great Tit, Deborah.

Oh really!!! lol! I’m new to this and just assumed it was a blue tit! How lovely x

 

[DeborahC]

Your Blue Tit appears to be a Great Tit,

Welcome aboard Deborah and please keep us updated.

is it possible she could be laying more than one egg at a time? She’s in there now and going through the same routine; fussing underneath herself, long periods of stillness, fluffing her feathers then repeat. She’s be doing that for about 40 mins now. All for one egg?

 

[Stonefaction]

Oh really!!! lol! I’m new to this and just assumed it was a blue tit! How lovely x

It has a full black 'hood' with a white face. Blue Tits have a blue 'cap' surrounded by white and a narrow black line through the eye. there are other differences, but they would be hard to see from the angle in the video.

 

[KC Foggin]

I believe they lay one egg a day but I may be wrong being from the other side of the pond

 

[Lisa W]

Hi, definitely can’t help with your Great Tit questions. Just wanted to say welcome to the forum.

 

[delia todd]

Your Blue Tit appears to be a Great Tit, Deborah.

Ooops.... silly me, I didn't really look at the picture! There's just been so many Blue Tit questions the last two days my mind was completely on them. LOL

 

[KC Foggin]

I'm going to move your thread to the Bird & Birding section of the Forum. You'll be notified when someone responds.

 

[KC Foggin]

A post just so you can see you'll be notified with new posts.

 

[Ttrevor]

Hi Deborah,

Did you put all that white material in the box or have the Great tits brought it in. i think it is very odd choice for them to make, usually they like a mixture of moss, lichen and small grasses and various other stuff like feathers, hair and wool but the material in your box looks all the same to me and not at all like nests I have seen. I am wondering about it. It appears to me she is throwin the material about quite alot as though she is not at all impressed.
Trevor

 

[Ttrevor]

Hi Deborah,

In this video you can see the different materials used and the daily egg laying -:

Trevor

 

[KenM]

Your Blue Tit appears to be a Great Tit, Deborah.

Yes, the title should be changed to Great😂