February 22nd, 2022 (Outside temperature 8°C, rainy)
For several months we have two roosting titmice in the nest boxes of balcony and pond. In both cases it is
a great tit, we do not know if this is a couple or if for the first time there will be two broods of great tits in parallel. But
we are sure that the female blue tit has not yet given up the balcony nest box, she has always been very dominant over the other birds.
The box in the garden, which was originally intended for the wryneck, is also very much in demand. Here, too, a great tit has
been removing nesting material that has already been brought in for some time. Then this morning a couple of starlings was on site
for the first time and inspected this box very extensively from inside and outside. Possibly they are the starlings from last year.
March 15th, 2022 (Outside temperature 10°C, rainy)
Small update of the last days and weeks. The great tits do not give up and lay claim to the box on the
balcony. There have been several fights, Mrs. Blue is very confrontational, but we could not observe any fights in the box,
fortunately. However, since yesterday the long time ignored nesting box next to the bedroom is occupied, the first layer of
moss was already brought, we had also been able to see a blue tit the day before yesterday, which had knocked vigorously.
Would be nice, if one had agreed.
The starlings come daily, but exclusively in the morning and visit the box in the garden from the inside and outside in fours
or fives. In the afternoon then come the great tits, it is not quite clear which pair it is here.
In the front garden there is now a new project, here the nest box camera is operated with solar, a blue tit had already visited
the box, we will see how it continues there. The blackbirds are also searching there again, the hedge may again be selected as a nesting site.
March 17th, 2022 (Outside temperature 10°C, overcast, drizzle)
Today a Sahara dust cloud is to pass again, the blackthorn in the garden is now rather brown, than white.
In addition, the birds are set for spring, Mrs. Blue is now diligently bringing nesting material, she is as always about 2
weeks earlier than the great tits. Also the starlings are now constantly present, it is mated and sung and the box visited
several times inside and outside.
March 29th, 2022 (Outside temperature 15°C, dry)
Nest building is now in full swing, with the blue tits everything seems to be ready, the great tits at the
pond have also built diligently in the last two days. The activities in the nesting box on the balcony are somewhat unclear.
Possibly the box was only used as a roosting place for Mr. Great Tit, or they are still taking their time.
The starlings are now more and more often on site, but in the afternoon they are absent, this opportunity is then always used
by the curious great tits to take a look into the box. So far, the trio of starlings has not yet broken up, usually two slip
into the box one after the other and one guards the territory.
Also the blackbirds are busy since today, pardon, Mrs. blackbird is building the nest and Mr. blackbird is watching.
We are already curious who will lay the 1st egg.
April 3rd, 2022 (Outside temperature 3°C, snowfall)
Today you could see it clearly: In the nest box of the blue tits are already 2 eggs. The mother is as usual
not to see. In the middle of the snow flurry of the last two days Mrs. Blue has made the beginning. With the great tits it could
still take some time according to our experience, especially since the Kohl family has a little difficulty with the nest
building on the balcony. Most of the nesting material ends up on the ground in front of the box, but nevertheless they are still
hammering away. Apparently the entrance hole is still too small.
The starlings are also often on site, here small twigs and dried grass are brought again and again. There is also much mating
and nesting going on. If Mr. Wryneck actually comes by this year, I guess he's out of luck.
Black Redstarts have also been on site, but only ever briefly. Let's see if they will breed in the half-cave this year.
April 15th, 2022 (Outside temperature 17°C, sunny)
After the ups and downs of temperatures, the right time for family planning of the titmouse families seems
to have finally arrived. Mrs. blue broods since 3 days on at least 10 eggs. Also with the great tits at present only feathers
and similar materials are brought, an indication that the nest building is finished. There were 5 eggs in the box on the balcony
this morning, these had always been thoroughly covered up until now.
The starlings are currently only on site 2 times a day, it is somewhat unclear if they are breeding elsewhere or have not yet
started breeding. We also miss the evening songs on the larch.
April 17th, 2022 (Outside temperature 16°C, sunny)
All three titmouse ladies are breeding now, outside they meet with the masters from time to time and gifts
are handed over again and again. Also the great tit at the pond had hidden her eggs in the nest, there must now also be at
least 10. Many thanks to Malu for the hint!
The temperatures rise now also gradually and that is important condition for the raise of the youngs if they are then
once hatched.
April 26th, 2022 (Outside temperature 10°C, unstable)
Mrs. Blue had started first with the brood (11.04.) and this morning 2 small titmice had hatched, afterwards
every few hours another one. Around 5 pm there were still 5 eggs in the nest, so half was done. The eggs are already eaten by
mom and dad is already helping with feeding. Now we hope for a little better weather, from tomorrow it should become warmer and drier.
The starlings are definitely no longer on site, unfortunately a robber had thrown all the eggs from the nest unnoticed by us.
April 29th, 2022 (Outside temperature 20°C, sunny)
Today is the day of the tits. In the box of the blue tits yesterday morning only one egg was left and
disappeared at some point. We therefore assume that all 10 have hatched. Dad and mom are feeding together, surprisingly already
with quite a high frequency.
Yes, and since this morning one great tit young after the next hatches in both boxes. With both we can see that the feeding is
done by the parents together. Meanwhile, it is also quite warm, so no danger that the little ones freeze when the parents look
for food outside the box.
May 3rd, 2022 (Outside temperature 15°C, initially sunny, later hailstorm)
Short update from our titmice: Feeding is in full swing in all 3 nest boxes, dad is present in each case,
which we have also experienced differently in previous years.
We venture a conservative estimate, it's still a bit confusing:
pond coal tits: 9 young
balcony coal tits: 6 young
bedroom blue tits: 7 young
No guarantee!
The great tits at the pond seem to be especially active, here one young was seen today already outside the nest on the upper
floor, but then found its own way back, because mom feeds only in the nest.
With the blue tits there could already have been losses, here we had 10 eggs, but are not quite sure how many were hatched.
In a few days it is certainly clearer.
May 7th, 2022 (Outside temperature 20°C, sunny)
What a chatter! Until now, only the first sounds from the pond nesting box were heard, the gang was quite
rebellious, but the others seemed quite well-behaved, even the blue tits, which had hatched 2 days earlier. But with increasing
warmth also the urge to move grows, in all boxes are now single young in the upper floor to find, this makes it of course
somewhat confusing for the parents while feeding.
The plumage also grows increasingly, the frequency of feeding rises. We are also no longer surprised that we have hardly any
butterflies in our garden....
May 12th, 2022 (Outside temperature 23°C, cloudy)
The last two days it was quite warm, yesterday almost 30 °C, so Mrs. Blue had preferred to spend the nights
outside the nest box. The little blue tits are already 16 days old today, we expect them to fly out maybe in 4-5 days. The
great tits also seem to be very bouncy, but there is at least one straggler in the balcony box, which was hatched almost 2
days after the others. It is unlikely that he will be able to catch up, but we will see if he flies out with the others.
May 15th, 2022 (Outside temperature 28°C, sunny)
We have a Kevin again, but not, as suspected in the balcony box, but in the pond nest box. It was apparently
just too hot and both the blue tits and the great tits down by the pond were unstoppable. They wanted to go to the exit hole to
breathe fresh air and then the urge to fly out was probably very strong.
Therefore, after 4 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., seven of eight great tits and two of seven blue tits flew out, followed by their
parents. One of the great tits landed under the box, we put it on a wall, which it left again immediately. In the meantime,
the great tits are no longer to be heard, but Kevin continues to be cared for by one of the parents.
With the blue tits it is not yet sure whether they fly out in the evening or spend another night in the box. By the way, we
have not yet experienced that great tits leave their nest after 18 days, until now only 1x with blue tits.
May 16th, 2022 (Outside temperature 20°C, windy, unstable)
Kevin is out, at 6:30 in the morning he was already over the hills and with him the whole family. We had not
expected that, he was quite shocked last night that he had to spend the night alone in the big box.
Not even two hours later, the remaining five blue tits flew out, almost every minute. Up, once briefly orientate and then to
the right away into the bushes.
The balcony troop, on the other hand, took it easy again today, a good decision, since it was very windy at noon, it was also
raining pretty hard. Towards afternoon the little tits got a bit excited, we are curious if they will fly out today. For the
2 days younger straggler it would not be bad if they would all spend an extra night in the nest box.
May 18th, 2022 (Outside temperature 22°C, sunny)
The titmice from the balcony did not let themselves be upset, they were quite calm and made no effort at
all to leave the box. Unfortunately, we then had to remove a dead chick yesterday, externally we could not determine any
impairments, it was also not the junior. The remaining six spent the last night in the nesting box without mom, this morning
there was more excitement, after 7 o'clock the first one left the box. The next ones took their time again, somehow they always
jumped into the wrong corner, not all of them understood about the exit hole.)
Around noon the last one disappeared, at the moment you can still hear them calling. We hope that they all have a long life.
Currently, the starlings are building a nest in the hedge for the 2nd time, the redstarts have probably found another possibility this year.
June 5th, 2022 (Outside temperature 20°C, rainy)
Our young tits visit us daily in the garden, sometimes alone, sometimes with their siblings and often still
together with their bird parents. The blue tits are quite bold, never before have we seen baby birds balancing on our lily pads
in the pond, but these ones do. There is still quite a bit of chatter going on, probably the moms and dads would completely lose
track otherwise.
In the box in the hedge, the starlings are trying a second brood and the great tits in the nest box by the pond had also
decided to brood once again. Here the mom is sitting on 5 eggs and hatching is probably imminent. We hope that this year more
will survive in the second brood, in the hot season this is always very problematic.
