Nest Box Camera

 A couple of years ago I purchased a Wifi solar powered camera and built a Blue Tit box to take the camera positioned in such a way to look obliquely at any nest that might occupy it rather than straight down as with the commercially produced boxes. 

I originally planned for it to go further down in the garden but found it difficult to connect it to the wifi and so had to put it up in the courtyard. So that's where it went and that's where it remained unoccupied for a year until this winter when Bluey started roosting in it. 

My hopes were raised for the roost to turn into a nest and so it was.

Work building the nest started on the 30th March and continued at a pace. By the 12th April the nest was formed, much of it created by the bird using its body the push and shove the moss and other building material into place and they had started lining the nest with feathers.

A check of the recordings for the early morning of the 13th produced a pleasant surprise of a single egg!

Later recordings showed that the parents had covered the egg and were paying close attention to its comfort and well being.

By the 16th three eggs were in the nest, as there should be as they lay an egg a day.

Blue Tit nest and eggs

The pair set into a good routine of care and maintenance making sure the eggs were turned and kept covered for most of the day.

By the 19th four eggs were present and the adults continued to take care of them diligently.