Nest box activity

Anyone else seen nest box activity? ours has had a Blue Tit roost every night since before Christmas but now goes back to check it in the day time and has also 'shown' it to another couple. Whether it will be used this Spring we will have to wait and see as it hasn't been used (apart from roosting) since we put it up three years ago!

 

Ive not noticed this year but have previous years at this time of the year, reading up blue tits pick there home at this time of the year, unfortunately none of my nest boxes have been a first choice

 

We had one Blue tit looking at one box in middle of Jan, but now no actitvity

 

This could happen again as ours was inspected by a pair last year but not chosen.

 

Unless you have seen any activity I would say do it as soon as possible as they will are starting to check them out and will start nest building roughly late Feb early March.

 

I've been meaning to make a few boxes of my own I'm convinced they don't like the cheap bought boxes ive bought, I will make a couple tomorrow.

 

I've noticed our Bluetits, Starlings and Sparrows checking out the boxes recently and inspecting a few bushes/shrubs.

 

I always ask Mr Kandy to check on and empty our nest boxes within a few weeks of the babies fledging because one time he forgot until the spring and one chick that got left behind and had died was just bones by the time he got round to it

Our Blue Tits we have found don’t start to check out our boxes until at least April and we can hear them tapping at the box entrance every day

Last Year because we were having a visit from a Great Spotted Woodpecker every day to our nut feeder the tits never nested and I think it is because the GSW is a Predator and would drill into the box to get to the chicks so I think they had second thoughts I have a pair of Blue Tits actively feeding in the garden but whether they’re will use the nest box this year it will be interesting to see

 

I had the same, but ours move around from box to box each year. The Sparrows do the same.

 

I can't say for sure @shiney but I imagine the eggs were from an abandoned nest box last year. Blue and Great Tits do not breed this early as there is no food for them and it is timed to coincide with caterpillar emergence in March.
Metal entrance holes can be screwed onto nest boxes where Woodpeckers are around.

 

@strongylodon on Springwatch last year they were saying that it makes no difference in putting one of those metal plates on the front of the boxes because the GSW just drill their way through a different part of the box if they are that desperate to get to the chicks inside