MadingleyBirds

Eggs have arrived! She may have overlooked something important though... #theGreatEggRace @EmilyDanby @HannahMRowland @GabsDavidson @WythamTits @StA_Nestboxes @birdcognition

Taking the microbiome-gut-brain-axis to the field: how to overcome challenges of identifying #microbiome mediated behaviour in wild animals. Article online @Trends_Ecol_Evo. Was super lucky to work with such inspiring co-authors @AuraRaulo @sclknowles sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

#Mushrooms are abundant in Madingley wood after several days of wet weather. Can anyone help with IDing?

@woodlandbirder @piedflynet @rock_nester @StA_Nestboxes @WythamTits @birdcognition @AvianBiology That would be my first thought too- scavenging rather than predation, but it’s not something we’ve seen before, as far as I know.

*WARNING POTENTIALLY GRAPHIC* Anyone seen this before? Blue tit chick head skinned. Baby slugs on the skull. All chicks in nest dead. #ornithology #nests #TheGreatEggRace @MadingleyBirds @WythamTits @birdcognition @rock_nester

@woodlandbirder Hurray!

Most broods are very uniform and healthy this year! Fieldwork is coming to an end with only 3 nests left to ring- extremely early and short breeding season this year!

UPDATE: happy to report that Z has fledged the nest!

@chichibugera Interesting. We had wondered if she lost some feathers due to fights with other birds, but you may be right that generally high stress levels may have caused the feather loss.

@MadingleyBirds She looks almost like those males of Cettia diphone, at Namie, Fukushima, a highly radio-contaminated area. They were also in a stressful situation, maybe. The proportion of such individuals were almost a half of all captured, 2015 - 2018.

1/6 This is the story of D198094 “D” for short, one of our nesting blue tits. She’s a feisty female who doesn’t give up when things get tough

6/6 D’s looking a bit worse for wear- she’s had a tough season. She kept going despite a week of stormy weather and the loss of her male. She’s still as feisty as ever and her and Z are warm in the nest now, and come summer D will moult and have her head feathers back!

5/6 Today her chicks were due to be ringed. D was in the nest guarding as usual. Four of her eggs didn’t hatch and she has one chick left - Z066924 “Z” for short. Z’s a bit small for its age, but we have our fingers crossed 🤞🏻

It’s not always easy coming out of your shell #hatching #birds #nest #wildlife #bluetit

@BlueTitEcology @imogen_LM @ProfWild_Brum @RichardBufton @StA_Nestboxes @WythamTits @LES_UniBham @birdcognition Congratulations! As of today we have three great tit nests with chicks- no photos as all mums were sitting tightly keeping them warm! We have another 63 out of 74 active nests with eggs, 40 of which are being incubated. It’s all about to kick off! 🐣

Birmingham is proud to introduce the 1st of our tit nestlings of the year! Congrats to @imogen_LM on her first PhD babies! #TheGreatEggRace @ProfWild_Brum @RichardBufton @StA_Nestboxes @WythamTits @LES_UniBham @MadingleyBirds @birdcognition

Nest building continues in the flat roof box by @GARDENATURE isn't it amazing how every piece of straw is picked off small and similar size in strands @Natures_Voice ? Amazing to watch year after year! @_BTO @BBCSpringwatch @NatureUK @BritBirdLovers @BTO_GBW

Scrap that- the nest had 8 eggs, making first lay date the 27th March!

Our first nest round of the season found 12 nests with eggs! One box has 7eggs today making our first lay date 28th March #GreatEggRace @WythamTits @birdcognition @StA_Nestboxes

@scedwards19 @Phenoweb_Scot @ElizabethMWiley @BlueTitEcology @StA_Nestboxes @WythamTits @birdcognition @UofGlasgow Don’t leave us! 😢

@Phenoweb_Scot @ElizabethMWiley @BlueTitEcology @StA_Nestboxes @MadingleyBirds @WythamTits @birdcognition We could do a north of the border race? I’m sure there’s a @UofGlasgow tit group. Or add in Norway/Sweden/Finland. We can lose to them!

After a false start our blue tits are now rearing to go. How are everyone else's birds fairing? #TheGreatEggRace @scedwards19 @MadingleyBirds @WythamTits @birdcognition @BlueTitEcology @ElizabethMWiley @Phenoweb_Scot #ornithology #nesting #bluetit #fieldwork