"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , TheScullster
writes

Just thought you guys might be interested to hear the outcome of an
on-going
bird box saga.

About 3 months ago I went up the ladder to retrieve the box and fit the
ply
faceplate. As soon as I disturbed the box, a loud buzzing sound prompted
me
to abandon the re-furb rather hurriedly. Despite regular observation
since,
I have not seen any insect activity around the box.
Yesterday, I plucked up courage to go back up the ladder. Having covered
the entrance hole with duct tape, I detached the birdbox and returned to
terra firma to investigate. As anticipated, there was a
fortunately-abandoned insect nest of some sort buried in the old bird
nesting material - google images suggest that this is either a bee or
hornets former home. Not a large settlement, the nest volume is maybe
equal
to a tennis ball at most. Still I wouldn't have liked to incur the wrath
of
its inhabitants nonetheless.

So I have now fitted the ply facia and hope it will be more appealing to
the
local bird population next year.

I had a nest box which blue tits chose in 2006, and I caught 5 fledgelings
emerging by placing my camcorder on the dining room window ledge, and
cabling it to a DVD recorder which was left running for hours when the
fledging was due. This determined pair managed to win the box from a
bumble bee which tried to steal it. I got some amusing footage of BT
sparring with bumble bee at the entrance. :-)

The following year the box was deserted after 10 eggs were laid, and in
2008 there were no takers.

In Feb 2009 I put up a box fitted with a camera (ALDI), but no takers,
although a bumble bee buzzed in and out one day and triggered a short
video...
I put a similar box up this year, but although I checked the recorders, no
sign of a bird in the box.
The next move was to take the lower front panel off one box, and hang a
fat snack and place some sunflower seed on the bottom of the box.
This gave me some clips of birds feeding, but having caused them to notice
the box, I have now closed it again and will wait for next year, hoping
for the best. There is a shortage of BTs in this area, but there was a
pair feeding in my garden in Spring...

Extreme patience is required, I'm afraid.... :-)

I did manage to get some video of the mother blue tit feeding the chicks
soon after which the fledglings left the box. I was standing very quiety
and still about 8ft from the nest box.
The fledglings are totally naive and do not know the fear of humans - at
least for a while

Bill

Thanks for reading

Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply