Great Tit Year 2016

Text and video records  Olle Koert, www.tt.ee
Translation Liis
Estonian article published 31.10.2016

The entrance to the nest box of the great tit was made with a 3,5 cm drill. So that the greater spotted woodpecker would get into the box it must widen the opening by at least one and a half centimetres.

On Thursday, October 27^th,  the woodpecker came to demolish the nest box in order to make the entrance suit its own body – an hour of hammering and a couple of hours of rest, and so two days with this schedule. A woodpecker does not easily leave something half-done and persistence led to the gaol.

On Saturday it finally squeezed in and at once started to throw out the great tit’s furnishings. As we can see it is a female greater spotted woodpecker; who has no red nape patch.

Science news from the Year of the Great Tit edited by Marko Mägi, Bird ecology researcher at University of Tartu 

Translation Liis

Science news for the Year of teh Great Tit edited by UT Bird ecology researcher Marko Mägi,marko.magi@ut.ee
Photo Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Despite the fact that it is easier for birds acting together in a group to notice dangers and sound warning calls they too must keep eyes and ears open at foraging to become aware of an approaching threat. Such a mode of foraging is characteristic for many birds feeding in groups. But what happens when warning calls do not reach their aim? For instance in a noisy environment where the efficiency of warning calls is small or one’s mates do not even perceive the calls. Today humans are ever more accompanied by artificial sounds, particularly in cities where traffic noise is several times louder than the natural background of sound. Yet many birds prefer to breed, winter, forage in cities – is then the noise no problem for them?

Editor of science news from the Year of the Great Tit Marko Mägi, marko.magi@ut.ee, Bird ecology researcher at the University of Tartu

Photo Marko Mägi

Translation Liis

Nest boxes for great tits

Margus Ots, Coordinator of the Great Tit Year
Photo Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Great tit

Great tit     Rasvatihane        Parus major

Text  Margus Ots, Coordinator of Great Tit Year
Translation Liis

The second clutch of great tit chicks have left the nests now and the webcams at the nests close. The images from the webcams at the great tit nests were set up in cooperation with the Silma Märgala SA and Teetormaja,  the forum was organized by  Looduskalender, data transmission went by EENet, Teetormaja, Tele2 / Televõrk and Elisa. Many thanks to all helpers!

Author bird ecology research scientist  Marko Mägi
Translation Liis

The chicks of cavity nest birds, among them the chicks of tits, are  relatively well protected from predators but in their nests a variety of parasites may be found. The nest parasites, whose activities are favoured by the temperature and air humidity of the cavity, may influence the life of adults as well as of the growing chicks significantly by sucking blood or feeding on feathers. (Alt & Mägi 2016: Ektoparasiidid ja nende mõju suluspesitsejatele lindudele - Ectoparasites and their effect on closed nest birds).

Info from  Margus Ots, www.eoy.ee

Video recorded by  Fleur, LK forum

Translation Liis

This morning the second clutch of chicks too left the nest with webcam

Great tit     Rasvatihane       Parus major

In this nest trunk the great tit started her second egg-laying on June 6th. The nest had 8 eggs and the chicks were hatched on June 24th – 25th. One egg remained unhatched and 7 chicks left the nest on Wednesday, July 13th, at an age of19 days.

Video recorded by  Fleur, LK forum
Translation Liis

Great tit     Rasvatihane        Parus major

Info for great tit friends:

Our great tit chicks were hatched on June 24th-25th, and they may be expected to leave the nest at 18-19 days, similar to the first clutch of chicks,. In the video we see them touching up their ”flight dress”.

So early on Wednesday morning at about 6 o’clock the departure may start unless there is heavy rain or some similar problem.

Text  Margus Ots, Great Tit Year Coordinator
Image from webcam captured by  Shanta, LK foorumist
Translation Liis

At 1 o’clock pm half of the chicks from the 8 eggs had hatched 

Great tit     Rasvatihane         Parus major