hi
we've had a nest box on our back fence for quite some time now and nearly every year tits nest in it and we see the parents going in and out with food.
Sometimes we find that the chicks don't survive ... they die in the nest. Today my oh went to look and found three dead chicks. oddly one of the parents was in there with them. the chicks looked starved
What causes them to die when we could see the parents were very devoted and were bringing food? Why then did the parent stay there?
What can we do to ensure survival?
We think that part of teh problem may be that its on an exposed fence with little in teh way of bushes near by.
We have found magpies attacking the box (we've seen it plus we can see signs of attack on the box) and cats prowl along the top of the fence very close to the box so we did wonder if the parents couldn't get in frequently enough to feed the chicks what they needed.
Hi almac and welcome to the forum.
It's always sad when chicks don't survive and I can only speculate on the reasons why they might have died. You mention that magpies have attacked the box and birds like great spotted woodpeckers will do this too. However, I would have thought that if they had actually managed to get into the box they would have taken the chicks. They don't just kill for pleasure but for food.
You say that the box is in a fairly exposed location. Where I live (in the south) we've had some very hot weather recently 28C- 30C. If the box is exposed to the sun perhaps they could have overheated and died of dehydration. Don't forget that nestlings have to rely on the moisture they get from their food as obviously they can't drink water as their parents would. Perhaps the parent birds have not been able to get the right sort of food like caterpillers and insects. Dried food under these circumstances may not provide sufficient moisture.
Another possibility is disease but I don't know enough about that to make any sensible contribution. I'm assuming you clean out the nest box each year to minimise the risk of parasites.
These are just thoughts. I'm sure others will have their views in due course.
Regards TJ
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Tony
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Hi there,
I'm no expert but it sounds like it may be a good idea to re-site the nest box away from potential predators. I would start with a process of elimination and re-site your nest box. See what happens next breeding season. You could be right - it sounds like the current site is very accessible to predators who can clearly see the activity and are able to reach the nest box.
The RSPB website has loads of advice on siting nest boxes to guide you through finding the best spot to re-site your nest box.
Things to think about are predators but also the adequate shading - make sure the nest box is not in direct sunlight as the fledglings will die from the heat. A north facing wall is a good option for example but never a south facing wall.
Good luck!
Ange
The box is on a south facing wall and I think that the chicks must have overheated.
The parents also seemed very cautious when entering the box becuase there is no cover nearby so I wonder if they weren't able to feed them with the frequency required to keep them hydrated.
Will re-site to an east facing fence, and plant shrubs nearby for cover for the parents!
thanks all for your help!