Every year members of the Conservation Ecology Group monitor and ring Blue Tits and other woodland birds using nest boxes in the woodlands around Durham University. This effort is led by Dr David Baker and Dr Steve Willis. We are currently monitoring 120 nest boxes. Most of the boxes are active and have day 3 to day 9 nestlings. Follow us on twiiter @CEGDurham for updates and photos of the nest boxes.
 Day 3-4 blue tit nestlings begging to be fed. |  Blue tit nestlings in a bird bag waiting to be ringed. |  David Baker holding an adult blue tit he has just ringed. |
Monitoring nests throughout the spring provides useful information such as the timing of nesting, the numbers of eggs laid, timing of hatching, and the numbers of chicks that survive to fledge the nest. This data, combined with other nest box projects coordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology, is used to keep track of bird numbers and contributes to a growing body of knowledge on bird population trends across the country. Next year this project will contribute to incoming PhD student Claire Branston's project who will be working on a NERC-funded project, with CASE support from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). This project is titled ‘The role of climate and habitat in the reproduction and population dynamics of insectivorous birds in British woodlands’. The project will combine nestbox data collected at Durham with similar data from other sites that are co-ordinated by Ali Philimore at Edinburgh Uni, and also using the extensive data resource on nesting birds held by the BTO.
 Recording and discussing information about the nest box |  Checking a nest box |  Adult blue tit |
This project is also part of ongoing research within CEG to monitor the biodiversity supported by the woods around Durham University. If you are interested in helping with the nest box projects or other projects around Durham, please contact a member of CEG or Experience Durham for available opportunities. For more information about nest boxes visit the British Trust for Ornithology website.
 Day 7 blue tit nestling ready for a ring |  Ageing an adult blue tit using wing moult limits and plumage |  Getting nestlings out of a box |
 Odd case of a blue tit adult hiding under her nestlings as we opened up the box lid. You can see her tail sticking out to the right hand side. |  Blue tit nestlings ready to fledge |
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