This morning I happened to glance out the bedroom window and noticed a squirrel checking out the nesting box we have there. We had a squirrel nesting in this box last summer so I kept watching. Sure enough she started collecting grass and bits from the ground stuffing them in the box. She was doing this for quite some time – basically until we put the usual bird food out and her nesting was disrupted by the promise of food.
These are a couple of pics of her collecting stuff and nesting. Now we have to keep an eye on the box to track her progress. Once they have the young they stay in the nest for 4-5 weeks before being weened.
Today is was sooooo hot (33C) we sat out on the deck for a few hours. Whilst there we spotted a little bird picking up twigs and taking them to one of our nest boxes. We could not get a clear view of it so we got the scope out and took the following pics. We have now identified it as a House Wren.
According to our guide book this is probably the male as he will normally find a nest site and take in twigs etc and lay the nest structure. He then brings his female to inspect it and if she is happy she adds the final touches and lines it with soft things such as wools and feathers.
Apparently they often also take over nearby boxes to prevent other birds from using them. We have several in the garden so we will have to keep an eye out.
