Andrew Chick Ecology

My second nestbox check near Hawkshead, assisted by Harry Coghill, we found that several advanced tit broods ringed last week had already fledged. We ringed six new Blue Tit broods, including a remarkable brood of 13 and another of 12. Nine Great Tit broods were also ringed, with notable sizes: two broods of 11, three of 9, and two of 8.

Unfortunately, one Blue Tit nestbox had been destroyed by a Great Spotted Woodpecker or Squirrel, and in another box (made of woodcrete), the chicks had just disappeared with no visible damage, cause unknown?

Of the 12 Pied Flycatcher nests, three had hatched but chicks were very small/naked, while the remaining nine nests were all still being incubated.

Overall, the total number of nests in my boxes are down compared to last year, but brood sizes are generally larger.

All nest boxes were monitored under my BTO licence, and all records will be submitted to the BTO Nest Record Scheme (NRS). This data contributes to a growing understanding of how environmental pressures, such as habitat loss and climate change, are affecting breeding success and fledgling numbers in UK bird populations.

Nine Pied Flycatcher eggs (17.05.2025)

A nest of day old Pied Flycatchers (17.05.2025)