Derek Mooney

There you go, Ken, back to what I was saying.

Easter Sunday.

Anyway, so it is the nesting season.

This is when there's a lot of birds nesting.

And the one thing we made very clear on the programme the other day was do not interfere with nesting birds.

Let them at it.

It's wonderful to observe them.

And this camera and box has been in place well before the nesting season began.

14 days and 21 days to fledging.

Well, no, the blue tits haven't come to my box this year.

And I think it's because where I live backs onto the airfield truss and they've cut down all the trees and the cover is gone.

And I just wonder, has that made a big difference to the bird coming and going from the nest box?

And it's decided it's too risky.

But I still was in hope that, well, maybe it'll come in later.

But you're absolutely adamant that blue tits do not have a second brood.

Well, if you think of all the trees that have been cut down behind me, I mean, the amount of food now that's been taken away straight away.

No, but still, those trees are right up on my back wall.

And they do get protection again.

fantastic cover but they didn't have to go far for food I often saw them just come out the back because there was a hole in the front there was a little artificial window in the back of the box which had fallen away over years fine didn't bother them they would come in one way and go out the other and they would just go out the back and up to the tree branches get some caterpillars whatever the case may be and back in it was fantastic I'm very annoyed The lack of foliage around is probably the main factor there Ash dieback I was told Plant a tree in your own garden Derek

I want to go back to Helena.