Re: Blue tit head banging

Hi - I'm a newbie so this may have been asked before.

I have recently installed a camera birdbox and within two days it was occupied by a bluetit.

Each time it enters the box its starts tapping the bottom of the box with its beak quite violently.

I - and my grandson, who is a junior member - would love to know the cause of this behaviour

.

Hi. I've recently had blue tits starting to nest in my birdbox. I havent got a camera installed but when they first started to come into the box we could hear them banging inside the box and I asked the same question.  Someone replied saying it may well be that they are clearing the box out - removing insects etc. Hope this helps and good luck.

Hiya Woodlander welcome to the forum.

Hope the Blue Tits decide to use your nest box and as Mog as said it could be something to do with removing insects.

Enjoy your time on the forum

Hi. I've had the day off work today so naturally in the garden.  I noticed that the little blue tits still make a tapping sound in the box.  Theyve been in and out all morning so perhaps they are rearranging their nest?  

Thanks for your observations.

Im still intrigued though. I don't think it's because they are clearing out rubbish or insects because the box was brand new and unused before our little visitor came so it was completely empty.

So it's still a mystery....

I wonder if they are making marks in the wood to show that the box is in use?

Hi Alan

Thanks for your welcome. Love your photos.

I wondered whether it is trying to "soften" the bottom of the box or to check that it is firm enough to - hopefully - support a nest.

Hi Woodlander, we have the exact same mystery..our webcam nestbox is brand new and Junior our little bluetit is doing the headbanging bit too!!! It's weird!

Actually Woodlander I think you might be right - checking that the box is safe sound good to me

This is getting curiouser and curiouser.

My little Blue is still busy headbanging on the bottom of the nestbox.

But now it is stripping off tiny slivers of wood.

It takes a lot of effort to get one tiny sliver and then it seems to fly out of the nestbox with it only to return a short time later without it and carry on banging away.

Is there an expert out there who can tell us all what on earth is going on?

I also put up a new nest box and for the last 10 days I have seen a blue tit pecking constantly at the hole for 10 minutes at a time but I haven't actually seen it enter.  Do you think there is a chance it might nest?  Was tempted to go out and smooth the hole but don't want to discourage it further.  Just keep hoping...

We put up 2 new boxes this year, as the old were falling apart. 2 great tits took an interest, and were hammering away for ages; the entry holes had bits of wood pecked off, and we thought there was a good chance they'd use one of them. They've decided - to use a neighbours box! It faces the same way as ours, and is only about 2 metres away, but obviously they see it differently to us!

I've heard and saw our tits doing that in my nest box via the camera-sounded like minature woodpeckers lol,  it possibly could be a display behaviour and checking the solidness of the wood to make sure its not rotten so its a safe and secure place to nest.

Hi Scathtiar welcome to the forum.

As you say it could be a display behaviour..hope to see some of your photos on the forum.