DAILY DIARY 1998

14 February 1998

Previous year's ringed female inspecting the box. 

14 March 1998

Removed the straw I'd stupidly put in over the winter. 

30 March 1998

Tapping of the hole and beginning to bring in nesting material. 

7 April 1998

Male came into box while female there and she hissed at him, he then left immediately. Heard chiff-chaff for the first time this year. Put wool in the wire container outside the nest. Female still bringing in moss and grass. Bottom of the box under the nest bowl is still bare wood. Female still pecking like crazy on the bare wood. Head butts the nesting material to compress it. Uses its chest to form a nest bowl shape at even the earliest stage when just a little material in the box. 

8 April 1998

Different bird now investigating the box - looking in from the outside through the hole. Looking very uncertain. More material brought in by the end of the day, the bare wood was nearly all covered. 

9 April 1998

Different pair in the box both looking very uncertain.