Blue Tits Fledged (1 Viewer)

[ThomasW]

Well, 20 days after all 9 successfully hatched the 2 survivors left the nest!
Both parents worked immensely hard. It's not until the nest-box cam that I realised just how much work they put in.

Of the 2 left there was clearly a dominant chick, it left first, followed 2½hrs later by the sibling.

A little sad to see them go, but happy too that they seem strong enough to have a fighting chance.

 

[delia todd]

Thanks for telling us the tale Thomas.

Good luck to the two siblings - hope they manage to get to maturity and raise their own broods.

 

[ThomasW]

Thanks Delia. As a foot note one of the chicks returned this morning, along with parents, but seemed to get a little lost & was hiding on the floor around a shed.
I made sure that it couldn't get anywhere it might get trapped (closing doors etc) but apart from that I resisted the temptation to "help", knowing the parents were close by.
It must have been OK as it's gone now.

 

[delia todd]

Good news then Thomas.

Thanks so much for the update lad.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Definitely going to a second brood then, don't clean the box out yet!

 

[Euan Buchan]

That is good news.

 

[dragnil]

Very sad that only two from the nine survived. Tomorrow is day 19 for our brood of nine and they are ready to go. We've been lucky with ours, all have done well and on a supplementary diet of mealworms I think they'll be ready for the outside world tomorrow, the picture shows them this morning and the tail at the bottom isn't an adult, it's one of the chicks looking out. There are nine, honest but one is underneath!

 

[ThomasW]

Thanks all.
They did come back to feed for a couple of days but nothing since then.
I've a feeling we won't see them unless in passing until maybe winter nights.

 

[ThomasW]

Very sad that only two from the nine survived. Tomorrow is day 19 for our brood of nine and they are ready to go. We've been lucky with ours, all have done well and on a supplementary diet of mealworms I think they'll be ready for the outside world tomorrow, the picture shows them this morning and the tail at the bottom isn't an adult, it's one of the chicks looking out. There are nine, honest but one is underneath!

Yes, we watched regretfully as the numbers declined, though food wasn't/isn't an issue as there are feeders for suet, mealworms, fatballs, peanuts, & seed all around the garden. And of course water.
They're spoilt for choice.

Best of luck with yours.

 

[KC Foggin]

I had no idea that they laid that many eggs! Glad the survivors did and are doing well.

 

[Britseye]

I've never been much of a nest-finder myself, but on the way back from the shops just now I found my third Blue Tit nest of the week. Two earlier ones were in nestboxes at the edge of a suburban housing estate; this latest one is in a crack in a bridge joining two big concrete buildings in the middle of the local shopping mall! Not seen chicks in any of them, just adults going in with food.

 

[ThomasW]

Apparently 9 isn't unusual.

Since they left the nest they've only popped back a couple of times for food, but we do have lots, & I mean lots, of sparrows, all day every day, so the little Blue Tits simply get outnumbered at feeding.
They did seem fine when they left though :t:

 

[ThomasW]

... Not seen chicks in any of them, just adults going in with food.

Next box cams. Fantastic things, I wish I'd bought one long ago. They give hours of pleasure, & insight into an otherwise unseen world.

 

[delia todd]

The adults bring the fledglings to my window feeder, so they're around for a few days. It doesn't seem long though, before it's difficult to tell the adults from the young.

I don't think many survive the first few months, as I seem to have loads of blueys at this time of year and gradually as the weeks go by the numbers reduce dramatically.

 

[Britseye]

Next box cams. Fantastic things, I wish I'd bought one long ago. They give hours of pleasure, & insight into an otherwise unseen world.

I can imagine. I've dabbled with a trail cam in recent years and had some success, but never actually imagined nestbox cams were available to Joe Public? Tell me more.

 

[dragnil]

Search on eBay or wherever for nestbox cameras and you'll find lots and lots from about £30 upwards. I bought mine 6 years ago and it's been super every year with birds roosting through the winter and then bringing up chocks. Best programme on the TV by far.

 

[ThomasW]

I can imagine. I've dabbled with a trail cam in recent years and had some success, but never actually imagined nestbox cams were available to Joe Public? Tell me more.

There are various types available. The one I bought is wireless (apart obviously from the power) with the signal going to a receiver at the TV. HD pics & sound.
Not the cheapest but I'm pleased with results.

Look around, I'm sure you can find something to suit your budget.

 

[ThomasW]

The adults bring the fledglings to my window feeder, so they're around for a few days. It doesn't seem long though, before it's difficult to tell the adults from the young.

I don't think many survive the first few months, as I seem to have loads of blueys at this time of year and gradually as the weeks go by the numbers reduce dramatically.

I tried a window feeder, but it wasn't successful, probably because of all the various other feeders around the garden. We get swamped with sparrows when the new feeds go out, "little blue people" don't get much of a chance.
One thing I did find when the BTs were here, the female was much braver than the male. He would soon go when sparrows arrived but she tended to stand her ground.

 

[delia todd]

How do you tell the difference between male and female Blue Tit Thomas?

The window feeder came first with me by nearly 20 years, LOL. It took them about 3 months to find it. I'm in an upstairs flat so don't have a garden of my own, but there is grass and a hedge near my window. Nobody goes round that bit, apart from the gardeners who cut the grass and trim the hedge on occasion.

I've now got a spike feeding pole as well which is proving very popular. The little birds, including sparrows come to the window, while also using the pole feeder, along with the Starlings, Wood Pigeons and Blackbirds.

 

[ThomasW]

Very good question Delia, & one I asked a while back.
The answer I got was that the male has a deeper blue cap, though in practice I've found it to be almost indistinguishable.

I identified the two simply by watching which one sat on the eggs, then followed their movements. Having said that I admit telling them apart otherwise would be (for me at least) virtually impossible.

You're lucky having them at the window feeder :t:. Maybe if I'd started with that it may have been different but I think they've been spoiled with the others I made. Can't recall if I mentioned, I used the feeder outlets from a not very useful bought product incorporated in to soda bottles. Keeping them filled is a full time job now :-O