I was lucky enough to have a Songthrush nest in my garden for the second year in a row. All seemed well, she had chosen a secluded spot in a quiet part of the garden, under some ivy over hanging the garden wall . Having not seen any activity for a day or so I investigated further to discover that sadly one chick had fallen from the nest and had not survived. On closer examination of the nest I noticed it was leaning over and that there was no activity, no sign of life. Reluctantly I reached inside only to discover the rest of the brood was cold. One by one I removed a further 4 chicks sadly all were dead. Is it fair to assume that the mother desrted the nest when it tipped over. The chicks were quite well advanced , about 2 to 3 inches long, well fed with some feathers. I straightened up the nest and managed to support it with some twigs in the vein hope that she might return. Clearly all her hard work had been for nothing. No doubt she will be starting the process all over again in a more suitable place.
Hello Woodcutter, and welcome to the forum.
What a shame. You must feel very upset. Have you seen the mum since then? Is it possible she hasn't survived and that is why the chicks were abandoned?
Cheers, Linda.
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Hi Sparrow. Thanks for your reply and the welcome. I haven't seen the mum since. We do have a Sparrow Hawk around here. Realistically there is the possibility she hasn't survived. If she hasn't made it I would rather it was to a SH rather than on the road! Just bad timing that's all.
Hello Woodcutter and welcome from me too. I doubt she would have left her chicks. We had a blckbirds nest last year, which was very unstable and the parents carried on feeding. When the parents were away my husband secured a plant pot under the nest in case the whole nest slipped.
Hi Brenda H, thanks for your response. I guess you are right, her instinct to rear them would be too strong just to leave them. I can only ever remember seeing the female bringing food to the nest. Who knows, l'ii keep looking out.