Blue tit nests in cigarette bin at Vane Farm
Disgruntled smokers to the reserve are being forced to seek out an alternative bin for their cigarette ends after a blue tit built her nest in the ashtray at the door to the Visitor Centre.
The blue tit, with its cheerful blue, green, yellow and white colouration and ninja-like blue-black stripe around the eyes, has reportedly been seen ferrying nesting materials, pillaged from the reserve’s mossy roof, to its ashtray nest box.
These well known garden birds are notorious for setting up shop in the most unusual of places and previous nesting attempts have included traffic lights, traffic cones, gate posts and even a yacht mast. At Vane the female overlooked numerous ‘pre-fabricated’ nest box homes, which staff and volunteers had put up to provide additional properties for house-hunting birds in the area in favour of the cigarette bin.
There has been no comment as to whether the blue tits’ selection of this particularly unconventional nesting site is part of an anti-smoking demonstration.
“Blue tits have a reputation for their choice of unusual nesting sites. Clearly they’re versatile birds, ready to exploit areas unwanted by other species”, commented reserve Warden, Vicky Turnbull.
Meantime we've put up a sign warning visitors not to stub out their butts in the bin due to the nesting tits inside. The blue tits’ new home has undergone some extensive modifications since the bird built its nest inside; the box now wears a white reflective jacket in the hope that this will maximise reflection of the sun’s toasty rays away from the bin, and help prevent the temperature inside from sky-rocketing.
We'll be keeping you up to date with regular postings about the 'Butt Bin Family' so check back soon!