Old friends at the feeder

I was especially delighted to see a female bird, whom I recognized immediately by her orange tag. Last year, she was lovingly cared for and nursed back to health by a hedgehog rescuer after suffering an injury. The fact that she made it through the winter so well is the best thank-you for all that effort.

Shortly after, a male also showed up, who had likewise been treated for an injury and tagged. Both found their way back to the garden and the feeding area and—more importantly—immediately discovered the two feeding stations.

A fattening-up regimen after hibernation

After the long months without food, the two now need to really stock up on energy. To help them quickly build up a healthy layer of fat again, I’m currently serving them high-quality cat food.

The best part: Although hedgehogs are actually more solitary creatures, hunger seems to be fostering some camaraderie. The two of them sometimes eat peacefully side by side from the same bowl. It’s a sight that shows the feeding stations are being well received.

I’ll keep you updated on the nightly visitors!

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Hard work with her beak

Building a nest is a truly monumental task for such a small bird. First, the foundation is laid: vast amounts of moss were hauled in to pad the box softly and insulate it. In the final phase, it became really fluffy. Animal hair and fine padding material were used to form the perfect nest cavity.

Although I’ve placed special dispensers with suitable, safe nesting material in various spots around the garden, the tit has a mind of its own. It apparently considers the (sometimes very long) animal hair to be much more suitable and prefers it to my offerings. While it looks cozy, it unfortunately carries the risk that the future chicks could get tangled up in it. We’re keeping a close eye on the nest, though, and hoping that nature will take care of everything here!

Latest Update: The First Night

The great tit has reached an important milestone: she is now spending the night in the nest box regularly. This is often the final sign that the nest is ready and that she feels safe enough to make the box her permanent home. Anyone watching the livestream can see her snuggling into the nest in the evening like a little featherball.

Waiting for the first egg

Although she has now “moved in,” the first egg is still a long time coming. This is completely normal—titmice often don’t start laying eggs until the weather and food supply are just right. So every morning, we eagerly check the screen: Will the first little miracle be in the nest today?

As soon as something happens with the clutch, you’ll find out right away here on the blog or directly on the live stream.

Stay tuned!

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Naturally, my curiosity was immediately piqued.

Once inside the shed, I cautiously set out to search for clues. Among the pruning shears, pots, and seeds, I found what I was looking for: in a corner of the shelf, well hidden behind a bag of seeds and a cardboard box, lay an artfully crafted nest made of leaves. And who is the architect? A robin!

Technology Meets Nature

Since I’m always keeping an eye on the nesting activity in my garden for my website anyway, I couldn’t resist. At an opportune moment, I set up a camera from my collection.

Thanks to the camera, we can now experience it up close without disturbing the little robin while it’s nesting. It’s fascinating to see the perseverance with which the nest is now being completed.

Join the live stream!

I warmly invite you to observe this little miracle of nature with me. From the first leaf to the nesting season and (hopefully!) the young birds’ first flight, we’ll be there via live stream.

I’m curious to see how our new “subtenant” settles in. Take a look—there’s hardly anything more soothing and exciting at the same time!

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In the meantime, the three have also rediscovered the hutch.
From time to time, all three spend the night in the hutch. But if there are already three of them, they can of course pass the time with a bit of playing and scuffling.

Here is a video in which all three play and wrestle with each other. At the beginning they are two, the third sibling joins them in the middle of the video.

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Our great tit mum doesn’t really seem to be serious about breeding this year.

After she didn’t come into the nest for hours the last few days and even didn’t spend the night in the box the last few nights, leaving the eggs exposed for hours, I grabbed a torch and shone a light through the eggs. It turned out that all 3 eggs showed no signs of development inside, so it can be assumed that they were unfertilised.

Yesterday I also decided to clean the nest box to provide the best starting conditions for a second attempt.

In the last photo you can see what accumulates under a nest over time. Heaps of parasites. That is why I clean a nest box after the first brood in order to avoid having these parasites in the new nest for a second attempt.

Of course, this is only possible because my nest boxes are equipped with cameras and so I can see when the nest has been abandoned and can remove it.

Now we can only hope that another titmother will be found to start a new attempt. Fingers crossed

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