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Help identify breed of bird and piece of mind

Beckah
19/05/2024 22:00
  1. I keep finding so many of these little ones dead either by the neighbourhood cats or exposure prehaps?
  2. I did manage to scoop one up as a cat approach, the nest is in the tree above and I could see the parents, I assume they are trying their first hand at taking flight and unfortunately are not in the safest place for when they end up on the ground.
  3. just for piece of mind how common is it for the mortality rate of this bird to be as high, is there any saving grace or is it that nature has to take cause (all be it by cats) 
  4. apologies that the photo I have is of the little ones that sadly did not make it but hopefully the one i managed to put out of harms way did make it back to its parents.
  • 19/05/2024 22:07

    Hi

    to quote the Mighty Tony Soper-

    if every Blue Tit fledged and made it to maturity there pretty soon wouldnt be much room left on planet Earth for anyone else

    It is the way of the world

    S :)

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box

  • 19/05/2024 22:23 in reply to seymouraves

    Thanks, my mind is now at ease! I’m not at all knowledgeable on birds, but just couldn’t understand why every time I walked my dog along the stretch of grass there was yet another there, in the span of 2 days there has been 5 and I’m left wondering why the parents are not doing their parenting! .. again admittedly I am clueless but Thankyou for sharing your knowledge.

  • 20/05/2024 08:56 in reply to Beckah

    Adult birds do try and remove dead young from nests. Those are well developed young. I'd have said great tit, or possibly coal tit from that photo. Would have been a struggle to get them out the nest, so dropping them directly under is possible. Also, could have been a predator got to them and didn't take them all at once.

  • 20/05/2024 09:12 in reply to stealthybutnotthatstealthy

    I have seen them attempting to take flight from the ground, not always with success so I’m assuming it’s likely cats that have getting to them x

  • 20/05/2024 11:40 in reply to Beckah

    Yes. I don't doubt cats finished them off. Broods are large to offset the high mortality. However, cats mess up food chains as they're non-native and have no natural predators or number controls. Whole areas fail with breeding attempts and some species are worse affected then others due to their feeding habits bringing them closer to cats. Complete waste of time song thrushes and blackbirds breeding here......they fail every time, either losing their nests to magpies/jays/crows/foxes or their young the instant they set foot outside the nests. Hawks often pick off the last remaining breeding attempts.

  • 26/05/2024 18:21 in reply to stealthybutnotthatstealthy

    My Blue Tits outside the kitchen window are being exceedingly fast and stealthy in and out- Oddly they haven't used the box for awhile but seemed to take more interest when Mrs S cleared the honeysuckle from around the box

    I was watching the male doing nervous reactions today before entering- I'm not sure if it was me at the sink or something else- I moved slightly sideways and he decided to go on in-

    Guess I'm just a waorld birding list building Blue Tit fan Slight smile

    THEY ARE GREAT!!

    S 

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box

  • 26/05/2024 22:46 in reply to stealthybutnotthatstealthy

    The UK has had cats. Wild ones, as well.