European Gardening: BIRDS IN THE GARDEN, 1 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
My blue tits were pecking the hole in their box on the oak tree in February, I saw them both so in a few days ago, you have to watch carefully when they are nesting they are secretive then. Of course there is more than one pair but some boxes elsewhere. I saw a starling hanging off the top of it this morning, trying to look in the hole, I suppose they would eat the young.

I heard the tapping sound in the conker tree again this morning, it does sound just like maraccas, a dull woody sound, and each time is only 5 rattles, it just doesn't sound like a woodpecker! Could be the type of wood, but do woodpeckers only do 5 taps at a time? I couldn't see anything.


The pair of chaffinches, not sure if it's the same couple, I think I have seen 2 different females. the male looks duller but it was probably a dull day.