Hello dear all,
Over the last month or so, a pair of Great Tits has decided to nest on our balcony. We rescued the female, presumably, last year after she got entangled in some microplastics she had used to build her nest in the same box. On some of the pictures you can see her missing the toes of her right claw. A few decent pictures were taken, and I figured the Great Tit community would enjoy them.
Cheers, Bas.
Image looks better when zoomed in.
And a size-comparison with Dad. Shouldn't be long now. Just need a lil' stretch on the tail feathers from what it appears.
(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
Found a nice movie in HD, partly about GT life right after fledging.
Linda257 said:OMG! PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS. YOU COULD SCARE THE PARENTS AWAY FOR GOOD. ITS ACTUALLY AN OFFENCE TO INTERFERE WITH A LIVE NEST DURING BREEDING SEASON
I'll echo Linda's reply, not only is it illegal, you could scare the parents off and with the brood doing so well, that is the last thing you would want to do.
A brilliant selection of photos.
To save time when uploading photos, you can add many more than one before posting. If you can't add more than one, then the following will enable you to add many.
First, you need to select "Use rich formatting" located at the bottom right of the textbox.
Using the tabs at the top
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Hello Linda (-edit- and Mike),
@Mike, thank you regarding the photo's. Just hoping to provide insight in the beauty of avian flight.
No worries, the parents are somewhat accustomed to me as they are both aware where the mealworms come from and seem to realise I attempt to protect them. They also appear to be able to recognise different humans and adjust their perceived threat level accordingly. Dad occasionally comes up to me, to about four feet, when their little feed bucket is empty and then chirps as if he would like a refill. I respectfully oblige and then both parents immediately continue feeding the chicks. They are also aware that I actively chase off magpies and jackpaws. As they are comfortable around pigeons, I leave those alone. I monitor the peregrine falcons nearby, time permitting. I have removed all forms of bird feed from the balcony in order to not attract too much attention and to allow Mom and Dad to give their chicks their undivided attention. I did build a little trap around their second mealworm bucket, after I had noticed the first one attracted jackpaws and magpies. The first bucket (attached to the nest) was left empty since. The trap was designed to scare the intelligent magpies and jackpaws when they would attempt to access the bucket while simultaneously permitting access to Mom and Dad. It worked like charm, and no magpie or jackpaw has been seen since on the balcony. As their somewhat natural food supply was now secure, it allowed Mom and Dad to continue feeding their chicks in peace. I've also learned their warning calls for various animal threats like magpies, jackpaws, cats, crows, other tits and humans over the past month and can judge fairly well when they see or perceive a threat in the surroundings. I keep a listening watch when I'm at home. I inspect when Mom and Dad are away. The photo with Dad was the first time I inspected/photographed with a parent inside, by accident. I missed his flying back into the nest, my apologies. Thought you would enjoy the sight of a happy and healthy family. Do they look scared to you ? As far as interference goes, I think I can honestly say that I have aided in rearring a few GT chicks and the survival of the species in general. Apart from having built the box and providing a reserve food supply, I have also saved Mom from certain death last year. After consulting with a veterinarian I have also removed the remains of the one that didn't make it. After the parents had moved it aside and away from the other chicks that is. Picture available on request. This in order to maintain some form of hygiene in the nest, as you may understand. So interfering ? I would suggest the opposite. All I am providing is quietness, cleanliness and regularity. Isn't that what every kid wants ? Keep the greasy side up....(O; Bas.
Hello Mike, Already did most of what you suggested. One remark: When uploading a photo, the image pixels in the instructions you reference to relates to the pixel dimensions as the photo is displayed in the posting. Once posted, a higher resolution is available when clicking the picture. Full resolution of the uploaded image (with a maximum file size of 5 MB per picture) is available when selecting the zoom button in the upper left of the browser window after you have clicked the posting image. This is what I have learned so far by exploring your site. I suggest you include this in future guidelines, as it will allow members to enjoy image quality when so provided. Maybe include image resolution as (linked) text in the posting to clarify this to those who don't realise this, as it isn't obvious at first glance. Cheers, Bas.