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Hi we have had a successful nest for the past 4 years, with a few fatalities which I understand is normal , but yesterday we could see from the webcam that from a batch of 11 eggs and 10 days old and going extremely well , they started to reduced in numbers to 9 then dramatically during the day went down to 5 then 4 they died babies being removed from the nest and this morning when mum woke up she tried to feed them with a juicy grub no movement they had all died.
its so sad
it was extremely hot yesterday 22/23c would this be the culprit? Has this happened to anyone else?
So sad same happened to me 9 babies doing really well, suddenly 2 died after 11days, the rest died the next day. Waited 3 years for them to use the bird box I was so excited to be able to watch them grow.
Similar story here in Darwen. Eleven eggs laid, ten hatched about ten to twelve days ago, mum and dad busy all day and chicks growing really well, surprisingly they were all full of life, turned on the telly this morning, thought they were asleep but sadly all were dead. Parent still bringing in food, how awful is that? The great tits at the other side of the house are doing well. A horrible magpie has been on top of both boxes trying to get to the chicks. We’ve had heavy non-stop rain for over 24 hours.
What sorts of food were the adults taking into the box?
We have a nest box on an east facing wall with a camera. We've had blue tits nesting in there almost every year and although not all the babies survive, most do and fledge successfully. This year however we had the same thing happen as you. Eight eggs hatched and they were doing OK with parents coming in and out with food. We looked at 10 a.m and all was well. When we looked again 2 hours later, they were all dead bar one. The mother was coming in and out and completely ignoring the remaining one, who was opening its little beak with no response from mum. In the evening she left the nest and didn't return. The following morning the remaining chick was dead. The weather was mild but not hot and I'd love to know why it happened. We're terribly upset and wish we could find out what went wrong.
Same question. What sorts of food were the adults taking into the box?
They were bringing caterpillars, grubs and we saw mum feeding them with a large moth too.
Thanks. Is it possible something got inside the box, other than parents? Are you able to look back through footage?
Yes..happened to me this week....11 eggs 10 hatched, I can see one left... two died early on which left 8 healthy looking chicks...they were all doing well, then early this week on the webcam, I could see only 5 were alive and opening their mouths for food. Yesterday, there were only 3, overnight last night one died...6.30 this morning one of the two left died. I could the last chick sinking lower and becoming lethargic and then I watched that one lay on its side, its breathing slowed and it died...so sad...both parents still coming in with grubs not able to understand what's happened. Had five years of healthy broods from this box....nothing has changed....both adults feeding all the usual insects and caterpillars etc...
I can't watch the footage back unfortunately but the only thing that went into the nestbox was a bluebottle which the mother ate.
If nothing went in the box other than parents, (.e.g a sparrow getting in the box is not good for young blue tits), and if parents were feeding sufficient insects, and not feeding inappropriate things that chicks choke on.....and it won't be cold, then that leaves 1) disease 2) poisoning. I know people are spraying insecticide. e.g. this week a neighbour sprayed their box hedge due to non native box tree moth caterpillars causing havoc. I am against supplementary feeding as bird feeders are a 'community feeding area' where any disease can be more readily passed on.