tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18727426.post-1137196111989459812006-01-13T23:23:00.000Z2006-01-16T00:15:24.613Z<B style="COLOR: #006600">The Box Next Door</B><br /><br />By now you may have seen Blue Tits already looking around for possible nesting sites - this post is a bit late.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6006/1839/1600/bird-box-btit.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6006/1839/200/bird-box-btit.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>I'm always curious to see them checking the bird boxes. They land outside the hole, and with all the mannerisms of a nosy neighbour, look inside while checking around outside as if to see that no one is watching them.<br /><br />I may be wrong but I believe that they are scent marking the hole, perhaps using oil glands around their beak, so as to keep their rivals away.<br /><br />Well if you haven't put up a nesting box by now, it may soon be too late.<br /><br />Last week I noticed a finch come down to the water when it was frozen. Instead of water it splashed the frost over its wings. Do leave out some food and unfrozen water for the birds.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><A HREF="http://www.the-organic-gardener.com"><I>See Website</I>: <B>The Home of the Organic Gardener</B></A></div>The Organic Gardenernoreply@blogger.com