Blue Tits

[kelack]

I know it's not strictly photography related but you lot are the knowledgeable lot for all things birdy

Anyway, we've just moved house and there is a nesting ng box up on the wall. We were going to take it down as we're relocating the patio door until I saw a pair of blue tits in and out of it for a few hours

Anyway, the other evening I was just puttng the rubbish out and heard lots of tweeting so I assume we now have chicks, I don't want to get too close

What concerns me is that we are in and out of the door next to the box and doing a lot of garden work and on several occasions have seen the parents waiting in a tree for us to leave before going in. I just worry that this weekend with lots of hammering and drilling etc is going to scare the parents away. What do we do? We can't put off the work on the patio

 

[Gremlin]

Was the house occupied before you moved in ?
In my experience if birds have nested that close then they are used to the comings and goings, may just be a bit wary that you are new people but will soon get used too you.
Used to have a blackbird that raised chicks every year in my old house, if I went out to the garden for any reason she was fine and so were the chicks, anyone strange and they flew off to the trees to observe the newcomers

 

[kelack]

It was but the couple were quite elderly and I don't think used that bit of the patio much. Thanks though, maybe I'm overly worried

 

[mrgubby]

We had a Blackbird nest in our garage, the mother just glared at us whenever we had the temerity to move the car in / out

 

[Tringa]

As you can't put the work off then is nothing you can do.

However, nesting birds that are disturbed (and these particular birds may not be that bothered) are more likely to leave a nest during the building or if there are eggs in the nest.

Once the eggs have hatched a bond between the adults and young forms and while a nest with young may be abandoned, it is much less likely.

It seems your birds are feeding young and with a bit of luck they will continue to do so, even if there is some disturbance. The young may not be far from fledging - young blue tits first appeared in our garden a couple of days ago.

Dave

 

[hollis_f]

I wouldn't worry about it. Two years back I discovered we had Wrens nesting in the plants climbing up the fence by the back door. This was the day after the contractors had been in to re-wire the garden electrics - running a wire along the fence, 3 foot from their nest! After a few days the parent bird would fly in with a beakfull of food even with somebody standing next to the nest.

 

[kelack]

Phew. Thanks everyone. It's the first time for me I was so excited we had chicks

 

[Gremlin]

PMSL now get the camera and long lens out ready for the pics

 

[kelack]

 

[Lyonspride]

Oh good, i'm so glad this thread wasn't something to do with a smurf fetish......

Carry on

 

[kelack]

Or winter chests

 

[fracster]

Get some pics up then...........

 

[keljbj]

At my parents' house we have had various birds nesting in random places . We once had a bag hanging just outside the back door containing my brother's geology equipment. A blackbird decided this would be a good place to build a nest :/ At the time my Mum was a smoker, so was in and out of the back door all day long. They weren't bothered in the slightest. At one point, as the 5 chicks got bigger, the nest slipped because the bag moved with the weight, and two of the chicks fell out. I had to move them as they were blocking the garage door. Mother blackbird watched me as i very gingerly put them back in the nest (wearing oven gloves so as not to get my scent on them ). She then immediately flew in and fed them all. When the chicks fledged 4 out of the 5 + Mum flew into the kitchen, and had to be gently encouraged back outside . They really weren't bothered by us in the slightest!

We also had a robin nesting on a shelf the other side of the back door, and the male used to come sit on the doorstep and wait for scraps . Birds get used to activity going on around them, if they are nesting in a back garden i'm sure they are fairly used to people

 

[Lyonspride]

i very gingerly put them back in the nest (wearing oven gloves so as not to get my scent on them ). She then immediately flew in and fed them all.

Or ate them all because they smelled like Sunday roast, chips and cottage pie

 

[WillNicholls]

With bluetits they should be ok.
We even have swallows in our garage which we are in and out of all day for cars and filling the wood-burning boiler up. They just chatter a bit and no problems - had them for 6 years every year now and last year 20 individual birds.