Blue tits in the boom

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RogerJolly

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We've got blue tits living in the boom.

New boat (to us) last year. Came with Z-Spars in mast reefing. Arrived at the boat to do some work and noticed some strong bird interest. After a while they got used to us and started flying straight in and out of the boom end, obviously feeding chicks.

Hauled out in 'derelict's row', at the back of the yard near the trees, it must have been a prime location for feathered house hunters (not that we're derelects just planned for a late launch).

Guess we'll sit it out and delay launching and wait for the young to fly the nest, when it will be abandoned.

Kind of sweet. Kind of a pain in the arse.

Beware!
 
RogerJolly said:
We've got blue tits living in the boom.

New boat (to us) last year. Came with Z-Spars in mast reefing. Arrived at the boat to do some work and noticed some strong bird interest. After a while they got used to us and started flying straight in and out of the boom end, obviously feeding chicks.

Hauled out in 'derelict's row', at the back of the yard near the trees, it must have been a prime location for feathered house hunters (not that we're derelects just planned for a late launch).

Guess we'll sit it out and delay launching and wait for the young to fly the nest, when it will be abandoned.

Kind of sweet. Kind of a pain in the arse.

Beware!
Click to expand...

well done for waiting it out. shouldn't be long but an obvious PITA.

There is a Hillyard in Yarmouth that gets a nest in their boom every year... but the boat gets little use so they have chosen well.
 
Legally, you cannot touch the nest or disturb the birds while the nest is active. (Wildlife and Countryside Act)

To prevent a second nesting, you must keep a watch and as soon as the young birds are fledged, make it impossible for the tits to make a second nest and clutch of eggs.
 
I had a blue tit nest in my Z-Spars boom as well.

It's really difficult to be a mast builder in this country at the moment what with very little boatbuilding left, so perhaps Z-Spars should diversify into birdboxes using a cut-off length of boom.
 
sarabande said:
Legally, you cannot touch the nest or disturb the birds while the nest is active. (Wildlife and Countryside Act)

To prevent a second nesting, you must keep a watch and as soon as the young birds are fledged, make it impossible for the tits to make a second nest and clutch of eggs.
Click to expand...

It is very rare for blue-tits to have a second brood, unlike, say, robins. And most birds will choose a different site anyway, to abandon the parasites that probably accumulated...

Mike.
 
duncan99210 said:
Next door boat to us in Preveza had this. We now use a piece of sponge to block access to the end of the boom.
Click to expand...

I think that this is a common problem there. We saw many flying in and out of booms or sail covers. I thought about using foam but it looked fiddly as there are so many small gaps in our Selden boom.

I wrapped each end of ours with a couple of turns of cling film and put a turn of Duct tape one either end of the cling film. This worked a treat and birds haven't invaded the boom, though every nearby boat seemed to have a nest. It's easy to cut the Duct tape and remove the cling film in spring. No sticky residue on the boom as the tape is on the cling film. The cling film would probably be OK without any tape at either end but some brands aren't particularly clingy.
 
duncan99210 said:
Next door boat to us in Preveza had this. We now use a piece of sponge to block access to the end of the boom.
Click to expand...

Blue tits? Any boat with open boom ends, loose sail covers and the like is a target for nesting sparrows in Greece. It seems any male sparrow who finds a likely nesting place advertises it by incessant chirping, chasing off any other male who may try to usurp him. Females respond by coming to inspect the site, eventually deciding on one that suits her. Every yard and marina I have been in is awash with sparrows at this time of year.

I don't recall ever seeing a blue tit in Greece.
 
vyv_cox said:
Blue tits? Any boat with open boom ends, loose sail covers and the like is a target for nesting sparrows in Greece. It seems any male sparrow who finds a likely nesting place advertises it by incessant chirping, chasing off any other male who may try to usurp him. Females respond by coming to inspect the site, eventually deciding on one that suits her. Every yard and marina I have been in is awash with sparrows at this time of year.

I don't recall ever seeing a blue tit in Greece.
Click to expand...

Not cold enough.:D
 
vyv_cox said:
Blue tits? Any boat with open boom ends, loose sail covers and the like is a target for nesting sparrows in Greece. It seems any male sparrow who finds a likely nesting place advertises it by incessant chirping, chasing off any other male who may try to usurp him. Females respond by coming to inspect the site, eventually deciding on one that suits her. Every yard and marina I have been in is awash with sparrows at this time of year.

I don't recall ever seeing a blue tit in Greece.
Click to expand...

Ah, sparrows do have multiple broods per year, but I don't know if they might re-use the same site. Depends on availability?

Mike.
 
Have had birds of an unknown species roosting in the lazy bag, betrayed by their metabolism.
We gave 3 martins a lift north yesterday across the final 50 miles of Biscay. Their thanks...to sh1t on the deck. Migrants, eh!
20190522_222139-1008x756.jpg
 
Checked last Friday and they'd flown the nest. Pretty much on the three week predicted schedule.

Got ready over the weekend and launched now. Hoovered out the nest - some bits surprisingly far up the boom (think they build a new one every year). Nice and cosy it must have been - soft grass and stuff.

Would have taken pictures but was scared of frightening off the parents leaving abandoned chicks to deal with.

Writing off to Chris Packham asking for a refund on the extra yard fees.
 
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