cordwood nestboxes 2012

Blue tit eggs

The 2012 breeding season was the first year for siting nestboxes at Cordwood.

The year was notable because:

• our drought that had begun in February 2011 continued until May 2102 and was immediately followed by the wettest summer on record;
• ground & tree clearance and building work in 2012 inevitably impacted on wildlife.

So, an unusual year in which to begin siting a total of seventeen nestboxes:

• Twelve small nest boxes with entrance holes of various diameters - nine occupied by great, blue and coal tits
• One small box with an open front - unoccupied
• One medium box with an open front - unoccupied
• Two kettles with lids removed - one occupied by robins with two broods being taken

Two of the boxes were damaged by grey squirrels and a further two boxes were damaged by greater spotted woodpeckers.

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		2011/2012	2012/2013
#1	Cedar walk 1 metre hole	6 GT chicks
#2	Corner pine 1 metre hole 1 metre hole	7 BT chicks
#3	Scots pine side of Picnic Wood 1 metre hole	5 GT chicks
#4	Cedar walk 1 metre hole	Empty (dead CT removed earlier)	Moved to sycamore at bottom of Cedar Walk
#5	Picnic wood 1 metre hole	Incomplete nest 1 GT egg
#6	Stumpery 1 metre hole (Nic & Matt)	-	Moved to horse chestnut by Waxwings after ground works
#7	Orchard 1 metre hole	Empty
#8	Woodland garden by Lamins Lane 1 metre hole	6 BT chicks
#9	Woodland garden in ring 1 metre hole	Empty
#10	Picnic wood by hedge 1 metre hole	7 BT chicks
#11	Birch Avenue silver Birch 2 metre open fronted	Empty
#12	Lime tree by Cedar walk entrance small hole tit box (Jen)	-	New Nov ‘12
#13	Large owl	-	New Nov ‘12
#14	Entrance to VG hole 2 metre	GT fledged
#15	Silver birch by apiary 1.5 metre hole (repaired)	Empty
#16	T&Js edge of scots pines 1.5 metres hole	Coal tits (unable to view)
#17	Kettle in privet hedge with Wildacres	Robin - two clutches raised
#18	Kettle in privet hedge between VG & BA	Empty
#22	Low in Hawthorn picnic wood open fronted	Empty

Summary:

Great tit chicks

·      Great tits occupied 4 boxes (av. brood size not determined)

·      Blue tits occupied 3 boxes three reared broods average brood size 6.67

·      Coal tits occupied two boxes (one successfully) (av. brood size not determined)

·      Robins occupied one kettle and raised two broods (av. brood size not determined).

Only one nest inspection undertaken in May 2012.

Next year, more nestboxes of different kinds will be added to increase diversity of birds using them. I also hope to do more than one nestbox inspection and may even be able to encourage friendly birdringers to come along and ring fledglings. 
Of course, I'll use EpiCollect to collect data and geotag nestbox locations.