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Hi,
I was just sitting in the garden and usually about 5.30 or so the Great Tits return to the nestbox. But the behaviour I have noticed everyday is that the female will enter the nestbox and the male will sit outside calling to her and she responds. After a few minutes the male leaves and heads for a nearby tree and doesn't return to the box until about 7.00 in the morning. He then calls for her and they then both fly off together.
As I'm new to all this I guess I would have thought they would have stayed together in the nestbox.
Stuart
Hi Accipiter, this is normal for members of the tit family. During the incubation phase the female does all the sitting, the male does his best to stay out of the way but will bring food to his mate. He will find a cavity elsewhere to sleep in. When the chicks hatch both parents feed the young but the male will still sleep elsewhere whislt the female broods the young. It's always a good idea to have a few boxes located around the garden so that the whole family can have a safe place to spend the night!
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
Lovely photos, Alan.
Thanks for the replies everyone. Great photos.