2012 --- nestbox survey

click below for the spreadsheet of results

there are separate pages for the three 'days' of rounds, one pulling this altogether with interpretations, one summary of successes and failures, and one giving the repair and cleaning jobs to do before next season.

the general results for a year of appalling rainy weather are of small late clutches having reasonable success.  Some early failures.  Redstarts tend to finish what they start and either have complete success or complete failures.

there is a record of a crazy cuckoo attempt on a redstart nextbox.  What stole that egg?

Only one nuthatch nest this year. But 11 redstart nests, 8 of which were successful.

there were 30 empty boxes and 42 used.

thanks to the various volunteers that helped me go round the reserve, in what is a long hard trek, when carrying a ladder.  Thanks also to Keith for a continuous effort in maintaining and building nestboxes.

I should mention that I did not count the owl box which has been lowered to a safe observable level, and was emptied ( after the season) and found to be totally full of leaf litter ( probably squirrel winter bedding) and addled Owl eggs ( 11 if I remember correctly), probably stretching over at least 11 years.  Nor a new owl box that we put up in 2012 after the season, and one which is shortly to go up.

click here to see the spreadsheet of the nestboxes


martin