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Strange material in nestbox is this normal

Turned on nestbox camera to test all is working. See strange nesting material in the box, looks like the pebble dash (small pebbles) that is on the house exterior walls. I have bluetits nesting in this box every year never seen this before. I know its probably a bit early for nest building, but it has been really mild here this year. Has anyone seen them using this type of material before or is it common. The nestbox was cleaned out last year as usual. Any help/ information on this would be appreciated. Thanks

  • These are droppings. It looks like the box has been being used for roosting purposes for some time.

    They do occasionally clear out some accumulating droppings from roost sites, and if a pair decide to breed in the box they will likely clear them all out before bringing in nest material.

  • Thanks for taking the time reply Roy, I had thought the darker material might have been droppings. I had seen the blue tits pecking at the roughcast and had thought the lighter coloured material may have been pebbles. First time this has happened, hopefully the blue tits will use the nest box again this year. Best regards Robert