Bluetits abandoned nest (1 Viewer)

[guestinneedofhelp!]

Hi All,

I'm here to see if there is anyone out there who can offer some help.

A pair of blue tits have nested in our bird box, and chicks have hatched. All seemed to be going well but for the whole of today neither of the parent birds have visited the nest (and I have been keeping a close eye since lunch) there are still baby birds in there - I can hear them, and you can see them popping their heads up in the entrance hole.

Getting worried about the fact they haven't eaten or got any moisture from anything all day.

Does anyone have any advice on what to do between now and the morning when I could ring the RSPB/RSPCA.. I'm in the UK if that makes a difference to the advice you might give.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Guest in need of help.

 

[bongofury]

There is nothing you can do apart from letting nature run its course, as harsh as that may sound.

 

[AlfArbuthnot]

Let nature take its course. It is possible that both adults have been killed, but chicks would start to die after about 6 hours of nothing to eat, so you may have missed some feeding.

There is nobody to ring - it happens to millions of chicks every year.

It is very common for entire Blue Tit broods to die, due to accidents or lack of food. Best thing to do is not to watch it happen and not upset yourself.

 

[devon.birder]

Let nature take its course. It is possible that both adults have been killed, but chicks would start to die after about 6 hours of nothing to eat, so you may have missed some feeding.

There is nobody to ring - it happens to millions of chicks every year.

It is very common for entire Blue Tit broods to die, due to accidents or lack of food. Best thing to do is not to watch it happen and not upset yourself.

Strange this should be posted today as my wife's sister phoned me a couple of hours ago to ask why the nine blue tit chicks she had been watching in her camera nest box had all died. She was quite upset to watch the parent birds trying to feed the dead chicks. I wondered whether the chicks had died due to the heat. Roger

 

[Reg10]

My 5 Gt Tit chicks died last Sunday too, it is true that you have to let nature take its course.
It was very distressing watching the last one struggle for life, in the end had to turn cam off as there was nothing I could do.
Not looking forward to emptying the box in August.

 

[keith]

A lot of caring people out there I'm glad to say, there's so much negative news normally.

 

[WelshWarbler]

A lot of caring people out there I'm glad to say, there's so much negative news normally.

It's very sad but is nature's way of ensuring survival of the fittest. We've had Blue Tits nesting in our box for most of the past 13 years or so. Some years the whole brood has died and it is distressing. This year we have Great Tits for the first time. All 6 eggs hatched but 3 chicks have died. The other 3 are doing well and are about 15 days old. With a bit of luck they will leave the nestbox soon.

 

[Baby birds]

There is nothing you can do apart from letting nature run its course, as harsh as that may sound.

I am very worried, it looks like the parents haven’t visited the nesting box for two days, so worried I don’t know how many chicks are inside.

 

[Baby birds]

I am very worried, it looks like the parents haven’t visited the nesting box for two days, so worried I don’t know how many chicks are inside.

Would the parents abandon the nesting box if the garden got a bit to noise with mowing and gardening going on.

 

[MBE2]

Would the parents abandon the nesting box if the garden got a bit to noise with mowing and gardening going on.

No, I don't think so. Our nest box is fixed to our wooden shed, which is about 8ft from our main house entrance. I am constantly in and out and crashing about, mother Blue tit scolds me and waits until I move away before she goes in to feed the chicks. Most likely one or both parents taken by predators (cat or Sparrowhawk). About 1in8 Blue tit nests fail but good chance your nest will be used again next year.