Saturday, March 28, 2009

We're expecting


This little house was in one of the porches when we arrived here 24 years ago. MTL thought bats may have used it once as he found a dead bat (thanks love for not telling me) but mostly it has been deserted until this week when MTL asured me ha had seen some activity and yesterday I saw a bue tit , I think it was - fly in or out - I can't be sure - I was too excited. So fingers crossed we may have baby tits.

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14 comments:

Ms Scarlet said...

I have a bald headed blackbird in my garden. I think she's nesting in the roof.. along with quite a few sparrows. I'm trying to get a pic of her because she does look very battered, but seems healthy.
Sx

Kim Ayres said...

Tits are a wonderful thing to have...

Hmmm, that didn't come out right...

kenju said...

I have a few birdhouses around, but the birds always build nests atop whatever wreath or basket I have hanging on the porch wall. I really wish they'd use the houses!

Pat said...

Scarlet: they are difficult to photograph with just an ordinary camera. I love the blackbird's singing.

Kim: where would we be without them, and all the other birds:)

Judy: it's all new to me. I'm not exactly a nature girl.

Anonymous said...

I'm with Kim. I'm quite fond of tits, too.

Wait a minute. Are we talking about the same thing?

Cheers.

Barlinnie said...

I'm delighted to see more than a few robins fluttering about this spring.

Makes a change from just the usual wood pigeons in the barn.

Kevin Musgrove said...

In my experience tits refuse to nest in boxes until they're weathered to the point of dereliction.

cussed beggars

Pat said...

Randall: you and Kim can stay behind after school. Tsk tsk!

Jimmy:oooh have you got a barn?

Kevin : goodness knows how long the box was there before us but it is pretty weathered and shrouded in spiders webs.

Zed said...

We don't get many blue tits around here - mainly great tits (which sounds even worse). I used to have a birdbox at the end of the garden - until the tree got attacked by a very galey season and fell over.

I used to get 2 hatches a year in that box. Maybe the blackbirds will trust my vine again this year ... but that won't be till much later on.

Pat, you'll be able to tell when things are happening by the noise and constant to and froing of the dad to feed mum and the little ones.

Keith said...

". . shrouded in spiders webs."

Tut! I will send you a feather duster, complete with full instructions.

Anonymous said...

There is only to install a manger!
And clean the mangers once a month, while using a solution of 10% of chlorinate (a part of chlorinating and nine left water). Await that the mangers be completely dry before to fill them with seeds.
The suif is a true régal for the birds. You can do your own bread of suif.

You have a small weak one for the Tits (mésanges),alors do not hesitate the ball of suif will allow you to observe them and will be for them useful in the winter.

Necessary equipment
-A piece of suif (with the Butcher)
-A yogurt jar empties
-A piece of big string

The manufacture
-To Do to melt in a saucepan the suif.
-To pierce the pot,puis to let the string pass by the hole and to tie up it to the exterior one.
-Pour the suif in the jar in now the string to the extérieur.Attendre that together is cooled it and remove from the mould.
Variant: Add some small seeds in the suif (melted).And of peanuts, not salted !!!

You now can suspend the body to a branch, outside reach of the ugly TOMCATS.

Pat said...

Zed: you are obviously more knowledgeable than me but then you've had newts and tortoises and Q, so experienced in wild life. the box is in a quiet place round the side of the house so rather than disturb them I can watch from the sun room and there is definitely activity.

Keith: you are pushing your luck. Cobwebs in the house and the porches adjoining the house are dealt with but with this remote porch, I feel when a little spider has gone to all that trouble, I haven't the heart to destroy it's creation. So there Mrs Mop!

Crabtreee: my first reaction was HELP! But after close study I think I get the gist and it is excellent advice, some of which I already do round another part of the garden. I think the birds in your garden are very well loved and cared for.

Anonymous said...

"my first reaction was HELP!"
Yes ! My lady ,my gibberish Is decipherable in rested head ;)

And yes !! My small sparrows return each year ,and well d' others ( Goldfinches that we name the elegant,Redbreast,Nightingale philomèle,Nice troglodyte,Thrush musician,etc...And even the soft dove !)

True a cacophony from the dawn ,the choral society of nature all in all !

Pat said...

Crabbers: you must be in a part of France that is well stocked with birds. In some places they seem scarce.