BirdBox2016: everybody out!

Well, I say everybody, but that's not exactly true.

Of the 9 healthy looking chicks which hatched from the 9 eggs laid, we seemed to lose 4 during the last few days.

Now is the time to take a look at the data and present a few graphs.

BirdBox2016: quick update

Things seem to be going well with our blue tit family in our Maple Tree bird box.

The adults have turned out to be very good parents and are working flat out to bulk-up their chicks.

They now only have 10 days to stuff themselves with caterpillars before it will be time to leave the safety of the nest and venture outside.

BirdBox2016: incubating 9 eggs

The local weather has certainly improved over the last few days, with today exceeding 27'C (if my pressure/temperature monitor can be relied upon).

Our blue tit pair seem to have produced 9 eggs, and the female has started sitting on them.

And our first female Emperor moth emerged yesterday and attracted a mate this afternoon.

BirdBox2016: eggs at last

This season has certainly been unusual compared to the 7 previous years.

Following an unusually mild winter we have had to suffer a lot of cold, and often gloomy days during April.

So while we have generally noticed eggs appearing in our nest boxes in early April, this year we have had to wait a few weeks longer.

BirdBox2016: the odd couple

From previous years, it is generally the first 10 days of April when nesting tits complete their nests and the first eggs appear [at least in our garden].

A pair of blue tits took over our Maple Tree bird box early in March, and have been visiting regularly right through the last 4 or 5 weeks.

However, their behaviour has not been typical from our experience of observing via box cameras since the start of the 2009 season.

BirdBox2016: what's happening?

There has been plenty of interest shown by a number of local blue tits in both of our Pi powered bird boxes.

I've also added some enhancements to our bird box monitor which sits in a corner of our kitchen and raises the alarm if a box is triggered by a visitor.

It is the 12th March, so we may only be 2 or 3 weeks away from some real nest-building action!

BirdBox2016: 2nd Pi Power box deployed

We fixed our second Pi-powered bird box to the Canadian Maple in our garden yesterday afternoon.

In the first few hours this morning, bathed in glorious winter sunshine, we had plenty of interest from a blue tit or two.

So this is a very promising start to the 2016 nest box season.

BirdBox 2016: the season has started

I attached my PicaxePi powered bird box to the side of our pergola on Saturday afternoon.

When I checked the system on Sunday afternoon, I found it had been tripped five times.

So has the 2016 season started?

BirdBox2016: the role of the Picaxe

As 2015 gives way to a new year, so its time to ready those bird boxes for the coming nesting season.

My original 2014 Raspberry Pi box remains unchanged, although it will be sited higher than previous years, this time maybe 3 metres up the trunk of our Canadian Maple.

But last years (2015) Picaxe + Pi box has undergone a few more changes, so maybe this is a good time to mention them.

PicaxePi: in circuit programming

I used the combination of Picaxe and Raspberry Pi for the first time a year ago.

At that time I programmed the Picaxe by temporarily soldering a connector to the board and connecting it to my laptop.

But I've now made a few simple modifications to my BirdBox2016 controller so I can program the Picaxe from the Raspberry Pi.

BirdBox 2016: fitting the UV LEDs

Although initial testing with a bunch of UV LEDs did not look too promising, I've decided to push ahead and fit them to a bird box anyway.

They were very cheap, and I'd like to say they were easy to retro-fit into last seasons bird box.

But a wiring error resulted in a blown Darlington driver, so it took up more of my Sunday afternoon than I'd expected.

BirdBox 2016: sexing blue tits

In England, if you put up a bird box with a small entrance hole, the most likely species to make use of it is the blue tit.

So how do you tell male from female? Chances are you won't be able to.

But blue tits don't seem to have a problem picking a mate of the opposite sex. How do they do that?

Some thoughts on Wifi coverage

As our resident robins have built a second nest in our shed, I've been doing what I can to improve the wifi link between wifi router and PiCam.

 

My efforts may also be useful for next season (BirdBox 2016), as I plan to install two boxes further down the garden than in previous years.

It is tempting to assume that a powerful router/wifi node will solve all your problems, but I don't think that is the case.