Old nests - tits

Once the tits have fledged, the boxes are cleared out as tits in our area only have a single brood.

The pictures below show:

Left - a nest where the chicks hatched but died, probably due to the parent birds being predated.
The cup shape surrounds eggs and chicks during their early development and is made by the parent incubating the eggs and keeping small chicks warm.

Right - a nest where all the chicks fledged.
The nest material becomes flattened from the weight of the chicks and their trampling of the nest prior to fledging.

Tit nests to show difference in shape over time

Picture courtesy of Shirley Wittering.