The bird boxes are busy. On camera – box #1 has been occupied for two weeks now. Mother Blue Tit is sitting in. Mum has been busy sitting, rearranging, housekeeping.
And some support from a mate, with morsels of food.
… she disappeared for a couple of hours and came back with some new nesting material. And at 8 o’clock she vanished for the rest of the day – not reappearing until 7 that evening.This has happened for the last three days.
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| The first day the eggs were well covered |
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| and today (Monday) not very well at all. |
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| yesterday (Sunday) less well, |
I wonder what is happening?
Have the eggs passed their sell-by date and been abandoned? Have the parents started a new day-time home somewhere else?
It is impossible for me to be sure this is the same bird that is returning in the evening. Could this be another starting up a new nest on top of the old eggs?
Any clues welcome! (you can watch the unfolding story here box #1).
Update………………
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| Tuesday the eggs look quite exposed (cold and rainy all day) |
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| From 6pm Tues until 5:20 am Wed |
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| A brief spell at 7:30 and 8:00am Wed to extra nesting material to (partly) cover up |
It sounds to me like the eggs have been abandoned, I'm afraid. Normally during the incubation stage, one of the parents will remain on the nest throughout. If the nest is left for hours at a time, its not a good sign. I suspect the male has been killed, and she's had no choice but to abandon them, so she could feed herself.
Incidentally, they're Great Tits, as opposed to Blue Tits. If you can, try and get a look at the black band down the chest… Normally, a long thick band is indicative of the male, and a short, thin one is the female… It might give you an idea if it is one or two birds visiting the nest.
Thanks for your comments .. I probably should change the name of the post, but I like the echo this has of that Beatles track "Blue Jay Way" which wouldn't work with Great Tit!
On the 'male killed' theory – every night at around 7, after she is back, another bird pops in with a morsel of food. Only one visit per day though as far as I can tell! Maybe this is another male suitor?