Departure day? (1 Viewer)

Elizabeth Bigg · May 23, 2004

I had calculated that Tuesday or Wednesday might be the day our bluetits fledge. However today some of them are very vocal, constantly preening themselves and indulging in bouts of violent wing flapping.

I was watching on the TV, when one suddenly fluttered up to the hole for a quick look out - then dropped back onto the nest. Looks like I'll clear that backlog of ironing today - I've just taken the ironing board into the sitting room, then I can watch all the time!

nobby · May 24, 2004

Elizabeth Bigg said:
I had calculated that Tuesday or Wednesday might be the day our bluetits fledge. However today some of them are very vocal, constantly preening themselves and indulging in bouts of violent wing flapping.

I was watching on the TV, when one suddenly fluttered up to the hole for a quick look out - then dropped back onto the nest. Looks like I'll clear that backlog of ironing today - I've just taken the ironing board into the sitting room, then I can watch all the time!

Hi Elizabeth
Good to see your chicks are still doing well.
My remaining 3 chicks fledged between 07.00 and 09.15 this morning. I missed it all as I was working in the garden!!!

I only had my playback server on so no images were captured either.

I think someone on the internet was watching at the time as my netmeter software shows that 600megs were uploaded between these times.

Anyway good luck with your box for the rest of the season and enjoy your ironing.
All the best.
Brett.

Norbert · May 24, 2004

I'm expecting my chicks to leave the nest today or tomorrow. Do you happen to know if there is any particular time of day that they are more likely to leave - do they tend to leave early morning or are they just as likely to leave later in the day? I've set the video recorder to try to capture some of the action.

Elizabeth Bigg · May 24, 2004

Norbert said:
I'm expecting my chicks to leave the nest today or tomorrow. Do you happen to know if there is any particular time of day that they are more likely to leave - do they tend to leave early morning or are they just as likely to leave later in the day? I've set the video recorder to try to capture some of the action.

The first year they all left between 5pm and 5.30pm, but since then it's been very variable - they haven't even all gone on the same day. Our summaries on our website show info about the others - sorry, I'm just going out now, so I haven't time to check for you. :eek!:

Elizabeth Bigg · May 24, 2004

Maybe today?

This morning, for the first time I saw a chick looking out of the nest hole. It stayed there for about 6 seconds, before dropping down into the nest again. It didn't put its head out far enough to trigger a picture on the outside camera though.

I went through all the photos (well over a thousand) that had been taken since the camera was switched on just before 5.30am, and discovered that one chick had previously fluttered up for a very brief glimpse, but it did not cling to the edge of the hole. Interestingly, when Fluffy brought in some food, just a minute before the chick took his first good look out, a chick leapt up to grab it while she was still leaning into the box. It was almost as if she was encouraging it to come out.

Dave Smith · May 24, 2004

Hi Elizabeth

This thread got me moving today. I have a nest box with blue tits for the first time since the box went up about five years ago. We don't have any webcams so could only guess what was happening inside (with guidance from your photos). I have been rather busy lately so haven't attempted to take any photos through the scope. Anyway, this thread made me wonder if I would have many more opportunities. So out with the scope and camera. The results are not particularly good but serve as a record. In one you can see a chick having a peep out. I also did some movie shots (they are much easier) and on one caught the mouths of two chicks.

We are delighted as it is our first blue tit family.

Question. When they do fledge, is that it, or do they continue to roost in the box for a while? When can the box be safely cleaned out?

Dave

Elizabeth Bigg · May 24, 2004

Dave Smith said:
Hi Elizabeth

This thread got me moving today. I have a nest box with blue tits for the first time since the box went up about five years ago. We don't have any webcams so could only guess what was happening inside (with guidance from your photos). I have been rather busy lately so haven't attempted to take any photos through the scope. Anyway, this thread made me wonder if I would have many more opportunities. So out with the scope and camera. The results are not particularly good but serve as a record. In one you can see a chick having a peep out. I also did some movie shots (they are much easier) and on one caught the mouths of two chicks.

We are delighted as it is our first blue tit family.

Question. When they do fledge, is that it, or do they continue to roost in the box for a while? When can the box be safely cleaned out?

Dave

In our experience they don't return once they have left the box. According to what we have read (on a Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust site), the best time to clean out the box is in October or November. Use only boiling water to kill off any insects and mites that may still be there. I have heard that some people get birds roosting during the winter months, but we have never seen this.

Although there was a lot of wing flapping and constant preening activity today, all our chicks are still with us - we'll set everything to start recording around half past five tomorrow morning - watch this space!!

Dave Smith · May 25, 2004

One of ours nearly made it today. I reckon it will be tomorrow.

Elizabeth Bigg · May 25, 2004

Ours all fledged today - hope to be posting some pics soon! For this first time this year, the system crashed twice - but we still have thousands of pics!!!!

Norbert · May 26, 2004

Ours all fledged yesterday too. I actually saw four of them leave at around 6:30 - whilst sitting in the kitchen having breakfast. The remaining two left about an hour later. It's the first time I have witnessed the departure. Twice before that I had to shoo away 2 separate cats who had climbed the tree and perched on top of the nest box about half an hour earlier. Maybe that convinced the chicks the box wasn't the safest place to be any more and it was time to go!

I think I'm going to miss them now they've gone!

Elizabeth Bigg · May 26, 2004

We're wondering now if one actually went a day earlier, unnoticed by us - we're trawling through thousands of pictures to check on this. Fluffy is still coming for mealworms when I call her!

I think you will miss them - I certainly miss ours!

Dave Smith · May 26, 2004

I saw one of mine fly this morning at about 7.15am. So I am quite surprised to find intensive feeding still going on at the box this lunch time.

Dave

pduxon · May 26, 2004

Popped into my doctors last night and by the front door I heard a familiar noise. As I glanced up a Blue Tit popped out of a hole in the plastic roof - inventive little devils. The brood were still there making a noise after the adult left.

Dave Smith · May 27, 2004

:bounce: Still here this morning but all gone by lunchtime. So that's at least 24 hours from first to last.

Dave

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