What went wrong????

But why would there be unhatched eggs in 2 of the boxes, and nesting material in all 3?? I'm baffled by it and wonder if given the choice of all 3 boxes, that they maybe were confused each time they returned to it?? Has this happened before to anyone?

Well I just assumed there was only one pair as I never saw more than 2 at a time, but could there be a possibility that there were 2 or even 3 pairs nesting in them next to each other? It is totally beyond me

Would I be better off using just a single nest box to save any possible confusion for next year??? Any suggestions or experiences would be really helpful

Thank you very much

mmm, no me neither - i've never tried a sparrow terrace like box, only single holed ones. though my first thoughts that they could well have be confused about which hole they'd nested in, and tried nesting in three. But i'm pretty sure it would probably have been the same pair. Blue Tits as far as i know are quite territorial during nesting time, and wouldn't have tolerated another pair nesting next door. They certainly like roosting alone outside of nesting season thats for sure.

Hi Lee. I put up a three holed terraced box three seasons ago. The first year a pair of blue tits successfully raised young in one of the end compartments, although how many young I don't know. (My terraced box has all three holes on the front of the box). When I cleaned out the nest box there were also the remnants of the beginnings of nests in the other two compartments. Season two had no full nests at all, but all three box compartments once again had the beginnings of nest building in them. In this case we had a very warm spell really early on in the year which (in my opinion) I think may have set the birds to nesting earlier than usual, which was then followed by some very cold and wet weather. This may or may not have had some bearing on the unfinished nests. This season I haven't seen any birds at all going to the box but heard the tell-tale tapping of birds in one of the compartments early in the year. I have plans to clean out the box this weekend but not expecting to find anything again as Mrs A also watches the nest boxes and has also seen little or no activity at them this year. I have never seen Sparrows go anywhere near the box either. We have a lot of crows and starlings here so not sure if the box is too exposed to predators for the nesting birds liking. Could it be that you have successful predators who once your box was located took the adult birds? As you mentioned Blue Tits I'm assuming that it was them nesting in your box and not Sparrows(the eggs look like Blue Tit eggs to me). Another explanation may be that due to these boxes being 'Sparrow' boxes, the entry hole may be large enough for birds bigger than the Blue Tits to enter and eventually drive off the nesting Blue Tits, although you would probably expect damage or predation of the eggs if this was the case. I also have a single Nest box further along and have never seen any activity at this one at all, and have never seen any nesting materials in it either. Both nest boxes are tucked under the eaves of the house which is a twin storey. Don't know if any of this helps you at all but it seems to shows that birds can do things that you can't really explain. My plan is to keep the boxes clean and ready them for next season again, keeping my fingers crossed for better luck next year. I really hope your birds return and breed successfully next year.

Paul

It was definitely blue tits that made the nests, and I watched the same blue tit go into each of the boxes with nesting material, therefore making me wonder if it was confused in which it was supposed to be using. Then when I came to clean the box out yesterday, seeing unhatched eggs in 2 of the boxes, surely suggests confusion from the female not knowing which she should be using?? If this is the case, and if also is quite a common occurrence, then I am willing to replace this terrace for a single box (and one with a camera), any advice on where to purchase a camera nest box would also be great. Thanks to all replies and thank u doggie

if you're looking for nest cams, i brought a kit from here http://www.handykam.com/ 

Though saying that, you could just get the camera kit- it's relatively easy  to convert an existing box, Don't discard your sparrow terrace just yet- i've had blue tits nesting in boxes with sparrow sized holes (and it lets more light in if you put in a nest cam-if i had a 3 holed terrace, i'd be tempted to make a 'side view camera', instead of just the usual  top -down view,  by using, say the middle nest box on your terrace to put in the camera equipment (you'd have to block the entrance hole) and of course drill a hole in the internal compartment dividers to poke the camera lens through. just a suggestion though: see what works best

I agree with Paul and Kim on this, definitely worth keeping the terrace up there as it may encourage successful nesting from one species or another in the future. However, if you want to target blue tits specifically try putting a nest box, maybe your camera box, up at around 2 metres on a north or east facing wall but make sure the entrance hole is only 25 mm.

As was mentioned, the blue tits may have had to fend off other interested birds from the terrace as the holes are designed to accomodate house sparrows. This might have disrupted their egg laying.

It is possible that this was a first time breeder who got confused, even experienced breeding birds might get confused for that matter. Lee, did you notice them ever taking food in at all? If so then Alan is probably correct that some young actually fledged.

On the camera boxes, we sell kits on our online shop and I know some people on here have plumped for the bargain ones available from a certain brand of German supermarket beginning with 'A'...

That's the thing, I do get house sparrows in the garden, but they don't seem to be interested in using the box. Am I more likely to get a single bird like a blue tit using it again next year? If so do u think it will give the bird a significantly improved chance of success, by cutting down to just a single box to save any possibility of this happening again?