It seems a couple of pied flycatchers have taken a nesting box in a birch near my house. Earlier, there was a couple of nuthatches living there, but one of my cats chased them away.

A couple of weeks ago, after the nuthatches went away, a male pied flycatcher started singing near my house. The very first time I heard him was when I was lying in bed one morning. I was just waking up when I heard an unfamiliar birdsong. I got up and cautiously moved the curtain aside. The male was singing just two metres from my window. I was ecstatic to see so beautiful a bird so close up. Knowing that it could fly into the woods at any moment, I decided to make a recording of its song as soon as possible. I went outside with a recorder and tripod, placed them where the male was singing and got a nice recording of his song.

The male didn't fly away. He's been singing near the house for two weeks now. He sings all day long. He's more active in the morning and in the evening. Two days ago I noticed a female. She's not as beautiful as the male. The top of her plumage is brown and the bottom is white. Males have a contrasting black and white plumage. I hope these flycatchers don't get chased away by the cat before they can raise their chicks.