Great Tit Nestbox on Saaremaa 2020

[Bibibu]

Hallo, Thank you for the nice film about the trip ..... the hearts were pounding, some were pretty determined, the others a bit more thoughtful, but in the end they are all out into the big world ..... very nice

[Shanta]

I'm already here, feed me


I could cry, nothing for me


Traffic at the window ... chick hangs there, one parent wants to go out and the other wants to go in

[Shanta]

09:07 First chick leaves


09:12/13 Parent calls outside, chicks listen and answer


09:14 The second one flies off

[Shanta]

Where is a window here


Finally


... but parent comes with food

[Shanta]

When does the next one depart?


09:27 Let's go ... the third one


and the fourth also leaves

[Shanta]

The last one ... bye bye


09:30 Mom comes with food but all have gone


So she cleans the box

[Bibibu]

How is it actually, do the young birds return to their safe cave in the beginning?

Can the nest stay like this now, breed again for the next ones or does it have to be cleaned first.

I had e.g. Robins in the garage, they brooded 3 times last year, always brooded elsewhere in the garage. Which of course I cannot say whether it was the same couple. But it was not brooded at the same time, but in a row. So I assume it was the same couple.

They also brood every year, only this year they apparently hid very well or actually breed in a different place.

[Floppy Fish]

Nice to see that all the five remaining ones have fledged. Thanks for the updates!

[Shanta]

10:16 Mom comes again with food


... and takes a look


Takes the last ... and flies off



I have heard wing flapping in front of the window several times, the last time 17:35. Maybe a chick wants to go back

[Carla]

thanks for the film and also for the nice pics, adorable :)

[Carla]

Bibibu,
I always check the nests for dead birds or eggs and leave it so, and than in autumn I clean it, so that they can use it for the cold night in winter!

[Bibibu]

Hallo Carla,
I once heard that the nests should be disposed of because of the many bugs ..... of course only after the entire brood. I don't know if it's really true! So would it be enough to remove old eggs or dead birds and do not need to remove the whole nest ?!
With me they don't breed in a nesting box, but in the garage, once in the wall, or simply in an old Tupper box or on the shelf.

Bibibu,
I always check the nests for dead birds or eggs and leave it so, and than in autumn I clean it, so that they can use it for the cold night in winter!

[Carla]

Hi Bibibu
In autum I take off the nest and clean the boxes!
that is what I have read.....

[Shanta]

I read somewhere (forgot the exact link, but your link mentions it too), that great tits usually rub these caterpillars (once they're big and hairy) against the bark of a tree to remove the toxic hairs. The caterpillar in question that was fed at 6:39 seemed to have most of its hairs removed. There was another, smaller, but similar-looking caterpillar of the same type fed at 6:50 too.
It could have been a yellow-tail swan moth too. It seems a better match with the caterpillar that was fed at 6:39. It's a very closely related species, and not uncommon. It seems to be much less toxic too (tried to find any articles about it causing contact dermatitis/asthma, found none! I did find an abstract mentioning how the brown-tail swan moth was 50-100 times more toxic than a different species of Euproctis, so I guess it's safe to assume that most common species of Euproctis aren't nearly as toxic as the brown-tail swan moth.)
For comparison:
Yellow-tail swan moth
Brown-tail swan moth
Oak processionary

Floppy Fish, finally my reply

It is always fascinating to learn how animals can actually make inedible feed (such as these caterpillars) edible for themselves

For me, all the caterpillars mentioned look different from the one that was fed at 6:39. This caterpillar looks much lighter at the body and has dark markings. I gave up looking for this caterpillar.

With the 3 feedings around 07:24 I could not find anything unusual except that the problems increased after feeding.

Floppy Fish, what do you think who was the last one yesterday when departure?
I laughed at him as he tried to get through the window ... probably fed too much and then flapped his wings before jumping off, does not fit through the small window
Yes, it was him with the white dots (and caterpillar 6:39)

[Floppy Fish]

Yeah, none of them are an exact match. I'm 99% sure it's some kind of Euproctis caterpillar, but not sure at all which one it would be. There are at least 158 species of them.

The last one to fledge looked the very well-fed, chubby even. I didn't see the white dots, but it makes sense that it would be the same chick that got the huge caterpillar. He definitely wasn't in a hurry to leave the nestbox. Probably a good thing they didn't fledge any day later. I hope it's not causing him too much trouble with flying!

[IceAge]

June 20.

The nest box was cleaned

[IceAge]

August 01.

The entry hole has been enlarged.

[Hellem]

August 01.
The entry hole has been enlarged.
https://up.picr.de/39130740yp.jpg

Video by Teetormaja
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo

[IceAge]

Thank you very much, Hellem.
I suspected it .

[IceAge]

August 25.

great tit