Nesting box Success!

Over the past few years we have been working hard at making River Cottage gardens as attractive as possible to birds. This has consisted of increasing the amount and diversity of shrubs grown, not being too tidy in the way we garden, avoiding the use of chemicals, and providing food and nestboxes.

For the first couple of years nestboxes we had carefully sited in our Rowan trees weren't used, though plenty of interest was shown by blue tits, coal tits, and great tits. We began to worry it was due to Rowan trees being late leafers. However, we need not have because this year Great tits have been successful and now they are busy in and out feeding their young who can be heard clamouring and cheeping whenever a parent bird appears.

So all's well here. The Cuckoo is still calling and preying on meadow pipits. The sedge warbler is singing and the 'crowlets' across the river in the nest in the top of the old Scots pine tree are croaking and thinking about testing their wings.

Have a great week.