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Mingarry Lodges

time for nature in the heart of The West Highlands

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Bird Cam TV

One of the many joys of a holiday at Mingarry Lodges is the opportunity for close encounters with birds and other wildlife.  A variety of woodland birds, including, siskins, redpolls, finches and tits, frequent the feeders around the Lodges providing an opportunity to observe these birds up close.  As we are always keen to enhance the wildlife experience for our guests, we have set up nest boxes with bird cameras and live feeds to the Lodges over the past couple of years. The cameras are set up to be viewed on the televisions providing a gripping alternative to terrestrial TV.  This has been a real hit with guests staying between April and June when the birds are roosting, nest building and raising young.  We often find ourselves looking forward to change over day just to catch up on the latest bird dramas.

 

This year we had a blue tit in the nest box by Tooting Lodge and a great tit in the box by Hooting Lodge.  The blue tits laid 6 eggs, of which 3 hatched on the 2nd June.  Meanwhile, over at Hooting Lodge, the great tit had 4 eggs, all of which hatched between the 6th and 7th June.  Both sets of chicks have been tendered and fed by the adult birds giving our guests an opportunity to see the secret lives of these Mingarry residents.  The three blue tits chicks grew very quickly and fledged this weekend.  The four great tit chicks have yet to fledge and are currently growing their primary feathers, so providing further viewing for guests this week.

One of potential perils of breeding in a nest box attached on a tree is that you are easily noticed by greater spotted woodpeckers and other nest raiders.  We have a couple of pairs of breeding woodpeckers in the woods behind the lodges and in the past they have raided some of the nest boxes.   To guard against this we reinforced our boxes with wire-netting and attach some custom anti-predation devices over the entrance holes.  This has worked successfully for the blue tits and we hope the great tits will likewise all fledge.

It has been a pleasure to see all the fledglings around the Lodges, including robins, goldfinches, siskins, coal tits, blue tits, great tits, thrushes, blackbirds as well as some greater spotted woodpeckers.    We wish them all a successful first year and look forward to seeing them feeding around the Lodges and breeding next year.

  • View the full imageThe two adult great tits feeding their four chicks - 20th June

    The two adult great tits feeding their four chicks - 20th June

    The two adult great tits feeding their four chicks - 20th June

  • View the full imageBird Cam TV - the young blue tits on the 2nd June

    Bird Cam TV - the young blue tits on the 2nd June

    Bird Cam TV - the young blue tits on the 2nd June

  • View the full imageThe bird box behind Tooting Lodge

    The bird box behind Tooting Lodge

    The bird box behind Tooting Lodge

  • View the full imageThe great tits on the 13th June

    The great tits on the 13th June

    The great tits on the 13th June

  • View the full imageThe bird box behind Hooting Lodge

    The bird box behind Hooting Lodge

    The bird box behind Hooting Lodge

  • View the full imageBella the blue tit tending her chicks - 2nd June

    Bella the blue tit tending her chicks - 2nd June

    Bella the blue tit tending her chicks - 2nd June

  • View the full imageMutual feeding between the adult great tits - 13th June

    Mutual feeding between the adult great tits - 13th June

    Mutual feeding between the adult great tits - 13th June

  • View the full imageThe three blue tits and Bella just before fledging - 19th June

    The three blue tits and Bella just before fledging - 19th June

    The three blue tits and Bella just before fledging - 19th June

  • The two adult great tits feeding their four chicks - 20th June
  • Bird Cam TV - the young blue tits on the 2nd June
  • The bird box behind Tooting Lodge
  • The great tits on the 13th June
  • The bird box behind Hooting Lodge
  • Bella the blue tit tending her chicks - 2nd June
  • Mutual feeding between the adult great tits - 13th June
  • The three blue tits and Bella just before fledging - 19th June
Sun, 21/06/2015 - 16:03

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