Nestbox check - 16/4/2013 - 21/4/2013

A disappointing, but unsurprising visit to check the nestboxes, showed only 2 of 14 boxes have any sign of nesting having started this year.
One of the boxes had a Blue tit 'scolding' in the tree above, but otherwise the wood was fairly quiet.
A visit in a weeks time is planned...

21/4/2013

Not much more progress - 1 completed nest, and 3 started.....

Cambridge Conservation Volunteers

We were lucky to have the Cambridge Conservation volunteers visit us again in July 2012.

They assisted with balsam bashing and we hope we can get them to help us again in 2013.

Nestbox success summary 2012                                                                                                                                                         

Newditch Plantation

2012 started very well with birds starting to build nests towards the end of March.    
By 14th April 2 nests had eggs and a further 6 had completed nests.
By 30th April 11 nests had eggs and/or birds sitting.
Things were looking good. However at the beginning of May although some eggs had hatched and some birds were still sitting, half of the eggs present were cold and uncovered, tending to imply that the parents had either been predated, or could only exert effort to feed themselves. This was put down to the change in weather.
By mid-May many of the hatchlings were still very small and only 2/3rds of the eggs had hatched.
By the beginning of June the number fledged was down to 1/2 of the number fledged in 2012. The story from other bird boxes was very similar, attributed to both the change in the weather conditions, and the lack of food available for parent birds to raise chicks.

                                                                            Eggs       Nestlings   Fledged

Place totals:            Nests:  11                                   75          50          35

We are hoping that 2013 will be a better year .....

 

Cambridge Conservation Volunteer Visit

On April 15th, we were lucky to have the Cambridge Conservation Volunteers come and help us with some pollarding/coppicing in the plantation.
In advance of their visit, Rob Mungovan had been kind enough to come and mark the trees which were to be worked on, in order to allow more light into the area. It was hoped this might allow vegetation to take root under the existing trees, but also allow better growth of any trees being shaded etc by less healthy specimens.
The volunteers arrived at about 11am and worked until 4pm, with a short break for lunch.  We were really pleased with what they achieved. We now need to wait and see how things progress.
We are hoping that the CCV will be able to return and help us with controlling the balsam during the June/July/August period.