Who gets the box? Still undecided

Although the much stronger great tits showed great interest in the bird box yesterday, there are still regular visits of blue tits. This couple visited a few times this morning.

Blue tit couple visiting 10 April 6:55am

Female doing her thing, 10 April 9:58am

This is possibly the same couple that was chased away by another blue tit yesterday. I still see him singing and displaying in the area and he regularly peeks into the opening of the box. Perhaps this couple sneaked in when he was not around.

From now on I will call this strong territorial bird “Jerommeke”, naming him after the strong guy from the Belgian comic book “Suske en Wiske” (known in Britain as “Spike and Suzy”). That is easier than all the time referring to "the bird that blah blah blah....".

He is quite easy to recognise by a distinctive marking on the left side of his head: the blue from his crown extends at one point to his black eye line. It seems to me that Jerommeke has not found a female yet bcause he is usually alone when I see him.

"Jerommeke" with distinctive head marking, 7 April 2012

However, although he chased off another blue tit, he in turn is challenged by this great tit lady that visited the box again a couple of times this morning. She is part of a couple but I have never seen the male entering the box. He just peeks inside when she calls him.

Female great tit visiting, 10 April 2012 7:08am