I posted a few weeks ago I have blue tits nesting in one of my boxes. I have 5. I was training a climbers tendrils the other day, and out the corner of my eye I saw a bird flash past. Did a check, shining a torch into another box saw eggs. Another blue tit nest. That’s a first for me. Well 2 out of 5. Apparently nesting,eggs,brooding is 3 weeks early this year.
Having been occupied in the 2 previous years, the tits haven't taken up residence there this year for some reason. But the usual mix of nests in the hedge, sparrows, starlings, tits and finches. But the magpies seem even more predatory than usual this year, they sit on the roofs and watch, then swoop as the target bird enters the hedge.
After many early mornings keeping an eye on the boxes. Eventually chicks started to appear in the hole of the nest box late afternoon. But 2 of the first only fluttered to the ground. Staying there Chirping away to the parents. I was concerned as night was coming and it looked like rain. Plenty of cats in the neighbourhood. But what can you do. The online advice is to do nothing.
Sadly, the story did not end well, the mother was killed and the chicks all starved. I've taken the box down now.
As my late Dad would say, "Nature in the raw is seldom mild"