A very poor breeding season for Blue/ Great Tits? (1 Viewer)

[Andy Lakin]

Probably just a local issue (I'm in Doncaster South Yorkshire) but there have been very few sightings of juveniles of either species both in my garden and on my local patch. Also the Blue Tits nesting in the garden seem to have failed, I couldn't see what food they were bringing in but it was very small and definitely not caterpillars as expected. Just wondering if it has been a very poor breeding season. On the other hand I was very pleased to see 17+ go through the garden the other day.

 

[Kits]

We’ve not had any problems here in Hampshire. Our blue tit nest box had 7 eggs laid and 6 fledged. There are lots of juvenile blue tits in the garden so I’m guessing there were other nests in the shrubs. We counted 15 at the feeders the other day with more lining up on the branches waiting for a turn.

 

[Richard D]

No problems on my local patch (Kent) - good numbers of youngsters of both

 

[foresttwitcher]

Lots of large fledged broods of both around here in the Chilterns.

 

[Himalaya]

Ours have done well too.
Seen quite a few broods and heard more.

 

[Andy Lakin]

Thanks for the feedback, just around here then.

 

[Allen]

2 blue tits fledged out of 8 in rural Surrey and could see on the nest-cam that food was low quality. And Great Tits abandoned efforts in north Hampshire. So def not great here despite the decent spring.

 

[Farnboro John]

2 blue tits fledged out of 8 in rural Surrey and could see on the nest-cam that food was low quality. And Great Tits abandoned efforts in north Hampshire. So def not great here despite the decent spring.

Patchiness again because we had juvenile Great Tits being fed in the back garden in Farnborough a couple of weeks ago. They looked fit - not a big brood though.

John

 

[MJB]

A mob of juvenile Blue and Great Tits well over 20 strong was dashing around our garden first thing this morning, making sallies into neighbouring gardens and the trees in the lane. Clearly, the breeding season locally has been successful. Also, bird song has increased lately, suggestive of new broods on the way.
MJB

 

[Ratal]

What I have noticed north of the Cairngorms is that a high percentage of Great / Blue and Long tailed Tits have already started their winter flocking together.