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On the 24th of may the clutch of around eight eggs in our bird box started hatching. Checking the camera yesterday the nest is completely empty! The box is eight foot up on a brick wall and the hole is the right size for a blue tit to just about get in so I cannot imagine that anything has got in and taken them.
We did only ever see one adult bird in the box so I’m wondering if it wasn’t able to feed them enough. They died and she took them out? Is that likely?
If one of the adults chucked the chicks out I’d imagine there’d be evidence nearby. Can’t see them being carried away, well not far anyway.
Very odd.
I’ve searched the garden and there is no sign of the corpses, or any egg shells come to that. At this point I haven’t opened up the box to inspect inside though.
It is odd and the Mrs is quite upset about it!
From my reading though eight eggs is in the lower side of normal plus only one adult being involved in feeding means there is a high likelihood of them not surviving.
The same thing has happened with ours.
There was three or four chicks in the nest, last week you could see them popping up by the entrance to the nesting box when the adult left them after feeding.
Today it’s dead silent in the nest, no signs of life at all. No sign of the adults coming back to the nest today either.
I’ve no idea if they fledge then don’t return or if the adults and young return for a few days after they’ve first fledged.
Ours fledged today. Cat caught one before we realised and is now locked indoors. Three others have been hopping and flitting around the garden all day. Wife has been on an emotional roller coaster between guilt, delight, worry and frustration that they seem to want to get eaten.
We've got two BT parents and two fledglings in our garden now. Fledglings appeared about a week ago and can now feed themselves on the fat balls, seeds and peanut feeders.
Just seen the first young blackbird out with parents. Wasn't a great start when it flew into the window and hid in the sage bush until dad found it and they flew off together back to the nest over the road.
It's all drama in our garden.
Wife has been on an emotional roller coaster between guilt, delight, worry and frustration that they seem to want to get eaten.
Are you me?
Cat over the road went on a bit of a killing spree starting about 4 weeks ago. Have been hosing it when we catch it in the garden (with owners permission - they were getting the corpses). MsBeej is now on semi-permanent cat watch, and we've installed an RSPB cat scarer in the main killing spot.
Just checked our nest box after reading this, haven’t seen the parents for the last week, all that was in the nest was one dead dried up chick, never seen any evidence of any other chicks so I guess the nest failed, I was looking forward to seeing a handful of fledglings. Question what to do with the nest box now, do you leave the nest in place for winter or clean it out?
Question what to do with the nest box now, do you leave the nest in place for winter or clean it out?
Clean it out, there may be still time for another episode!
The same happened here. After 2 weeks the nest was suddenly empty. Before that, both parents were very active feeding the chicks and they seemed healthy. I just assumed they fledged early - maybe too early. No sign of them though.
pretty sure magpies, jays and jackdawes can raid blutit nests. they're brutal.
Jamze, cut that little perch off the wee birds can land into the hole and it only serves to give bigger birs someweher to grip while they massacre the insides
Will do👍🏻My daughter picked this one, I'll have to make a few adjustments as there's no way of getting into it for cleaning either. Was quite surprised they took to it so quickly TBH.
Was quite surprised they took to it so quickly TBH.
Probably saw the log store and fancied having a wood burner.
I had a look inside our box this morning with the camera.
Three dead chicks in there.
No sign of the adults in the garden for the past couple of days so I’m guessing that something’s killed them or scared them off.
I’ve cleared the box out and hopefully we’ll get some more nesting in there in future.
First time we've had a box up for birds, currently got a pair of blue tits in there, assuming they have chicks as they are constantly coming and going with food. Should we be cleaning out the box after the chicks leave or do the adults do it themselves? If yes, how do you know when to do it? I don't want to open up the box prematurely and disturb the birds...
Cheers for any advice!
@steezysix if you stand near the box you'll hear the chicks. Especially as the mother / father arrive.
Once you're sure they are gone (you won't see mother and father constantly coming / going and won't hear chicks) give it a week or two then open up the box and have the nest out. No rush I've never known a box be inhabited twice in a year...
I rarely see mine fledge, in previous years - one day you can hear them, then one day they are gone...
Great, thanks! So the adults don't stay in the nest and have more chicks? Or will other birds move in? We also have sparrows and coal tits (I think) around since we put up the bird feeder, plus magpies and starlings, super nice to just stand by the window and watch them all interacting!
You never know, but normally only one brood a year, and I think the timing is related to when the most food is about (caterpillars).
The size of the hole can determine what nests in there. I've noticed that Blue Tits do a bit of a survey before they move in, peck around the hole, I guess they are checking it's sturdy enough.
Our other boxes I've fitted metal plates to, to deter woodpeckers and squirrels.
Birds do sometimes roost in them too, especially if v cold.
Great, thanks! So the adults don’t stay in the nest and have more chicks? Or will other birds move in? We also have sparrows and coal tits (I think) around since we put up the bird feeder, plus magpies and starlings, super nice to just stand by the window and watch them all interacting!
No - usually one brood then they move on. I've seen sparrows show occasional interest in the box. As jamse says the size of the hole determines whether you get blue or great tits.
Yes it's great when you get a few arrivals in the gardens. We get a greater spotted Woodpecker which is just fantastic. Occasional Bullfinches too.
Yes, birds use nest boxes to roost in winter. My wife counted 24, yes that’s right, 24 wrens going in one of ours in winter!
Oh and also you can put different seed for different birds. I put peanuts (they all like that - Woodpecker especially), sunflower and / or niger seed (attracts the Goldfinches), some mixed seed and fat balls in the winter. Can get expensive!!!
Yes, birds use nest boxes to roost in winter. My wife counted 24, yes that’s right, 24 wrens going in one of ours in winter!
WOW!
If they are anything like robins they often will emerge to fledge at dawn so you
Don't see it. Robins also turf the brood out early, before the chicks can fly. You'll see p***ed off looking chicks in a bush somewhere with mum and dad still feeding them but teaching them to grow up and get there own fast. Robins have several broods though. I used to have some dense honeysuckle on the garage side wall and every year it got robins or black birds. I remember coming down for breakfast one year, filling the kettle and then looking out the window to see 2 local moggies paying FAR to much interest in a random pile of logs laying beneath the robins nest. I'm normally a 'slow to emerge' in the morning kind of guy but they sight had me out the back door in a flash! Yep, mum and dad had chosen that morning to boot the chicks out and the moggies must have thought it was Christmas Day. I chased the cats off and moved logs to find one chick and put it back in the nest. Saw at least a couple of the chicks in bushes or on fences around the garden over the next 2-3 days but I think the cats may have had 1-2.
My partners cousin had a camera in her nest box, and has footage of chicks being eaten by large black slugs. She was devastated, and rang the RSPB to ask if they had ever heard of this happening before. I know she sent the film to them, but not sure if she’s heard back.
Apparently high mortality with blue tit fledglings this year due to cold, wet winter and a dearth of caterpillars. They were banging around on the nest box back in April, but nothing since.
I've just moved a nest box from a tall garden fence post back to the tree it was on last year, where it seemed successful. Nothing going on this year which is why I moved it.
Took the top off to have a look & there's a nest & 2 eggs but nothing else.
On hindsight any local moggies can walk along the top of the fence within reach of the box but not now.