Dave Hall wrote:
... I believe the
female will do this quiver motion to ask for food from the male. I
have only seen it inside the nestbox, though.

"My" bluetits have been doing that a lot in the garden and there has been
courtship feeding in response. I have read that this extra food helps the
female to build eggs. There was definitely at least one in the nest box
yesterday but it and any extras were well covered up today. Feathers are
still being carried in. (They are supplied in a vegetable net bag and
originate in a feather cushion acquired, for free, for the purpose.)

As for your safety zone, we have sat on the patio, no more than a few
feet from the nestbox and they don't seem to mind. Last year, I was
being watched from the tree whist I removed a corpse that she had not
managed to remove.


My nest box is at head height on the back door jamb, so I can see it from my
PC in the window and it could easily, in the past, have its camera linked to
indoor kit. I get scolded by the birds from time to time, but they get the
benefit of protection from real predators!

I too have removed, years ago, a chick's corpse that I saw via the camera
was giving the parents difficulty. But I tried to time it to when they had
both just flown off on a foraging trip.

Mike.
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