Great tits activity and nesting

Hi, I have had a bird box in the garden for about 4 years and today for the first time today there are a pair of great tits who keep going in and out - I am beyond excited! However, the box has a camera which was disconnected as we had electrical problems in the winter, is it too late now to go up the ladder and reconnect it - I don’t want to scare them away but it would be amazing if we could see them nesting.

  • I am sure the great tits are excited to be building a nest in your garden...the excitement may soon wear off should you approach the box to reconnect the camera and cause them to abandon....Its unlawful to interfere with a nest during breeding period and that's as soon as the 1st piece of material has been laid.
    So for this year..Best just keep watch from a distance and reconnect all in September when breeding season is over

    (Pardon the Scottish Accent)

  • Thanks Linda l, I wouldn’t want to disturb them I saw an earlier post saying they might be checking their nest and it would be fine but as that was earlier in the year I wanted to check. Is there anything else we can do to help them? I put loads of our labs fur in the garden the other day, hopefully that will be lining the inside to keep them nice and warm Blush
  • Best just let nature be and enjoy ;-)

    (Pardon the Scottish Accent)

  • Hello and welcome to the forum, the dog fur will be okay for them to use, as long as you have not treated your dog with any spot on flea, worm, tick treatment, if you have best remove it, as this will be harmful to the birds.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • Do you have to disturb the box to reconnect your wiring? Going up a ladder briefly next to the box should be fine. BTO advice is/was that it's OK to briefly peek into a nest to monitor what's happening ... ideally whilst mum is not there.

    Our Great Tit, Flash's (she has a distinctive pure white feather on her left wing) nest is now a 'no view' zone as she's sitting tight for the 3rd year running :-) ... we do know that this year she's sitting on 8 eggs.