After a dismal start to the season, where one nest was taken immediately and early.....the one that's been most successful over the last 12 years.....and then 'lost'.....no idea why other than sparrows were causing a nuisance.....cold weather then arrived after that......but numbers of martins picked up a bit.
To cut a long story short, there are currently six active nests. One has young a week old and the others appear to be incubating, two of which must be very close to hatching.
There continues to be sparrow involvement, but so far, he, and it is largely just one sparrow, seems more tolerant, or at least less needlessly aggressive than others in previous years. He is clinging onto a swift box, but has failed to attract a mate. There appear fewer female sparrows here this year, and certainly fewer sparrows in general.....no young sparrows so far, and usually by mid June there's a garden full from first broods.
The nest on the left is of the one with young in. The adult entered, did a spring clean, and looked out before departing....the right hand nest with a woodpecker hole in is the sixth of 6 nests. Any eggs will have been laid no more than a week ago. It is directly next to the swift box (edge of it just in view) with the male sparrow......so far, only limited conflict. Infact, the swifts are keeping the sparrow in the tree quite a lot today. I think he is feeling a bit out numbered and intimidated.
Shame about the patio nest but glad there was some success and also with the swiftlets
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Regards, Hazel
Certainly been a good start to this year re those two species. Terrible for everything else. Jackdaws are everywhere so they may have a good year in the end, but nothing nesting in this garden was successful from what I've seen. So few bees. Not seen a tree bumblebee despite them being very common around here prev. Still very few butterflies. The odd gatekeeper and meadow brown. That's it currently.
Yes, as you say, hardly any butterflies this year although did see a Ringlet today, first one this year and what possibly looked like a small copper judging by size and colour but not enough time to grab a pic of it. ! Let's hope those swiftlets fledge safely soon.
stealthybutnotthatstealthy said:BTO would close that off in any survey as, 'failed, unknown cause'. Technically correct. I know they didn't starve though, and also know other young were in other nests so getting too cold is poss but not overly maybe. Doesn't leave much else as a cause.
It might seem a bit gruesome, not forgetting the law on nesting birds (which we're aware of) for those not aware of the law, and probably difficult to assess the cause, but a post mortem might help point to some issues.
Another possibility, if feasible, is to install a nestcam in the nests.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
stealthybutnotthatstealthy said:Certainly been a good start to this year re those two species. Terrible for everything else. Jackdaws are everywhere so they may have a good year in the end
It's been a strange old year.
Oh yes. I forgot there was a ringlet here 2 or 3 weeks ago ish. I was out and about yesterday. Lots of teasel, field scabious, knapweed, ragwort etc...All should have had bees.....as I went by, I saw 3 or 4! In this garden, I saw a bumblebee on one of the teasels. Every year I assume there will be bumblebees on each of them....this year something has gone very wrong.
I don't think I've ever seen a year with so few bees, butterflies; I passed by a dozen Buddleia on the parkland and didn't see a single butterfly on any of them even on a rare sunny day; there was maybe half dozen small bees and hoverflies but this is like no other year and hopefully not a continuing sign of the future. Maybe the jet-stream position has a lot to do with the weather this year which has already been mentioned in weather reports and has been a massive contributing factor. A few sunny days promised so fingers crossed and for our lovely House Martins, Swifts and Swallows, not forgetting the sand martins. Hope all remaining chicks have safe passage to Africa. I am still amazed when one of our experienced wildlife group members told me Little Terns can fly at 14 days old and the fastest fledging species in the world ! I saw some very young chicks last week and two days later they and most of the adults had flown ! Birds are amazing.
Mike B said: It might seem a bit gruesome, not forgetting the law on nesting birds (which we're aware of) for those not aware of the law, and probably difficult to assess the cause, but a post mortem might help point to some issues. Another possibility, if feasible, is to install a nestcam in the nests.
Not practical. Nest cup too high and screwed into asbestos. Not tempting for either reason. I don't mind Springwatch coming and installing cameras in the martin and swift nests next year! Or BTO can do research into why martin population is declining.....rather than just posting excuses about lack of insects, climate change, lack of mud and house building materials! etc, which may well be factors but which cannot be proven either way on a year on year basis. Nest failures can be but no one wants to prove those as they're politically incorrect.
stealthybutnotthatstealthy said:Nest failures can be but no one wants to prove those as they're politically incorrect.
It's the same with statistics about the true number of birds which are killed by cats; a lot of rspb members are cat owners so the society is unlikely to state the real facts. I have nothing against cats but it would help if they could be kept indoors during nighttime hours like many councils insist upon in Australia.