My Tits are back!

[Mottie]

Another one today. We're heading towards a clutch.

And another. 3 eggs so far. I wonder when she is going to stop laying and start incubating? I’m guessing at 5. Still nothing in the blue tit nest box but still hopeful - both times they’ve started building a nest in mid May. Oh, not the nest box camera but I’ve dug out a Blink outdoor camera from a kit that I bought on Black Friday and never got round to using and I’ve set that up with a good view of the nest.

 

[Mottie]

Checked the box on the camera this morning and Mrs Robin was just settling down on it. I set it up for movement alerts and I just had a notification. I checked the recording and she had just flown off of the nest. I went out and checked and yep, day 4, egg 4.

 

[Mottie]

Had a quick peek and popped the phone in the box for a photo when I saw her fly off with some droppings in her mouth. I’m a dad again! Chicks!

 

[Mottie]

They’re getting bigger now. And hungrier. Non stop feeding today by both parents.

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[Mottie]

A bit worrying this morning. Now our dog has gone, for the first time in years, we have a cat coming into our garden. This morning while in the kitchen, I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. It was a cat showing interest in the area where the nest box is. I scared it off but looking back on the cctv, you can see that the fùcker was hiding behind some furniture and when it saw a bird fly into that area, it made a move for it. Luckily the bird flew out again and you can see the cat have a think about going for it but after that, you can see the cat think 'Hmm, what’s there…'. Luckily that where I saw it and chased it away.

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I fear it will return.

This is where the box is - tucked away behind the mile a minute foliage:

Any suggestions as to what I can do to protect the nest from the cat?

 

[Stivino]

Put some of your carpet gripper along the top of that fence, and get another dog.

 

[Highway Man]

Put some of your carpet gripper along the top of that fence, and get another dog.

That is a terrible thing to say, extreme cruelty. Like to see dogs attacking cats do you and cats with ripped up paw pads? What a lovely man.

 

[Mottie]

We've been out and the good news is that the chicks are still fine - there’s six of 'em and they don't look that far off of fledging.

I’ve brought a selection of large canes back from the allotment and I’m making a sort of impenetrable barrier (for cats) that the Robins can get through. I’m doing it a cane at a time so that the robins get used to it. Once they’ve been in and out a few times, I add another stick.

 

[fillyboy]

We've been out and the good news is that the chicks are still fine - there’s six of 'em and they don't look that far off of fledging.

View attachment 381832

I’ve brought a selection of large canes back from the allotment and I’m making a sort of impenetrable barrier (for cats) that the Robins can get through. I’m doing it a cane at a time so that the robins get used to it. Once they’ve been in and out a few times, I add another stick.

They grow up so quick.

 

[Mottie]

They grow up so quick.

They've only just come out of their shell…

 

[Mottie]

I’ve brought a selection of large canes back from the allotment and I’m making a sort of impenetrable barrier (for cats) that the Robins can get through. I’m doing it a cane at a time so that the robins get used to it. Once they’ve been in and out a few times, I add another stick.

This what I’ve ended up with - don't know if it will work. I’m hoping it will deter the cat from trying to get to them. The parents can navigate it easily.

 

[Mottie]

That pesky cat was in the garden again sniffing around the nest box area. We are away today for a few days so I went over the allotment and brought a load more canes back to make the nest area impossible to get to. Hopefully it’ll work. It’s looking like a game of kerplunk now. Look it up, kids! I hope they’ve not fledged by the time we get home - I’d like to see them off and hopefully keep an eye out for the cat.

No tits again in my nest box at home but blow me, we have some here in the garden of the cottage we are staying in!

 

[Mottie]

I hope they’ve not fledged by the time we get home - I’d like to see them off and hopefully keep an eye out for the cat.

Just got home from our weekend break, first thing I did was check the nest. All gone! My cane barrier had definitely not been breached so I’d like to think they have all fledged. Hopefully they made it and the cat didn’t have them. <fingers crossed>?

 

[Mottie]

Yes! Mrs Mottie just called me and said that she saw the parents still going into the foliage where the nest box is. I said that’s strange because the nest is empty. I went and had another look, still empty so I searched higher in the foliage and a couple of them flew out! So, they made it. That’s made my week.
Here's one of them on the trellis behind the rose bush on the other side of the garden.

 

[Mottie]

A bit worrying this morning. Now our dog has gone, for the first time in years, we have a cat coming into our garden. This morning while in the kitchen, I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. It was a cat showing interest in the area where the nest box is. I scared it off but looking back on the cctv, you can see that the fùcker was hiding behind some furniture and when it saw a bird fly into that area, it made a move for it. Luckily the bird flew out again and you can see the cat have a think about going for it but after that, you can see the cat think 'Hmm, what’s there…'. Luckily that where I saw it and chased it away.

https://streamable.com/5idvsd

I fear it will return.

Bloody cat! I noticed some feathers on the lawn this morning, looked back on the cctv and saw that the same cat in the same hiding place tried to catch a pigeon. Luckily it just got away.

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