My five nest box schemes are having a poor season. Occupation rates are well down with a decline of 30% in Blue tits (65-45) and 23% in Great Tits(71-53) compared with 2012. Pied Flycatchers are very similar to last year 13-14 but only occur in two woods. I have only 1 Nuthatch this year compared with three last year.
Both tit species are about a fortnight behind last year. Clutch size is not bad with a few low whereas others are normal. Numbers are now feeding young. First indications are that brood size is rather low and at one site visited on May 29th three broods had succumbed no doubt due to the shortage of caterpillars due to the unusually cold spring. This wood though usually has the highest rate of total failures. It is mainly fairly young Ash. I visited three boxes in gardens. Blue and Great Tits had only 2 young each at the ringing stage and the other Blue Tit had a brood of six all dead.
Hope the present warmer weather improves matters.
John
2 comments:
In 2011 and 2012 I had 15 from 32 boxes occupied at Stithians. This year it's a paltry 8.....
Not so bad in upper Hindburndale with many of the tits waiting and waiting before nesting
An interesting feature has been the greatly increased ratio of adult Pied Flycatcher bearing rings. So far 17 already bearing rings (two from outside the Lune valley catchment) and just 6 unringed birds
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