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.
Thanks. I'd need scaffolding to put it up and as there's asbestos all the way around, might need to fit it in with whenever guttering is replaced. I think I'll struggle to get quotes in this area! Hard enough getting a plumber!
Mud and concrete nest both still feeding. Hard to tell, but definitely at least two in each. I do fear concrete one may struggle to enable any extras to fledge due to its structure. As they're almost fledged, will be very hard to see if there are three or four as only really enough room for two faces poking out now.