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Blue Tits chicks died

Ian J
16/05/2023 21:50

Hello.

About ten years ago I put up a bird box with a camera in. This year is the first time any bird has built a nest. But on 21/04 I noticed a nest and the following day an egg. By the 28/04 there were 8 eggs and the female Blue tit was sitting on them. The first egg hatched on 05/05 followed by 5 more ( six in total) The adults fed the chicks and sat on them . Then on the 13/05 they stopped sitting on them at night ( is this normal? ) but continued to feed them during the day. Then this morning (16/05) when I looked all six were dead . the temperature did drop to 7*C last night. All very sad really.

Ian

  • 0 17/05/2023 17:10
    Thanks for the reply.
    .Not sure it was a lack of food as the adults were back and forth all most constantly with food. I think it's the fact that for what ever reason the female stopped sitting on them at night and the low temperature on Monday night was what killed them
  • 0 17/05/2023 19:14
    On the previous day before they died the adults were bringing what looked to be grubs, maybe caterpillars, and sharing it amongst the chicks which were very active to get their share.
    What I don't understand is why the adults stopped sitting on them at night, is this normal. ?
  • 0 17/05/2023 19:30
    "What they were being fed may have played a part, if non-live food was taken in."

    That may be the answer, as most Gardens locally have bird feeders with seeds and fat balls.
  • 0 17/05/2023 23:19 in reply to Ian J
    This is my opinion.

    Adult birds will only feed unsuitable stuff to their chicks when the more suitable stuff isn't available.

    Garden bird feeders provide a quick stop-off calorie boost for hard-pressed adults searching for the stuff their brood really require.
  • 0 19/05/2023 20:20
    Hello Ian, I've had successful fledging of coal tits for the past 3 spring/summers, but the same thing happened to me today (19 May '23). Over the last few days, I noticed no more cheeping from my nest box and no more parent visits to the nest with food. And when I looked inside today, I found three or four dead coal tit chicks. I'm so upset. Interestingly, there was no trace of any eggs. I've been blaming myself too as I put down some slug pellets on a nearby flowerbed that contain metaldehyde, and the instructions said to be careful not to leave piles of it around, which I didn't, only a light scattering, but I thought the parents might nevertheless have fed some to their chicks (I normally use stuff that doesn't have the potential to harm wildlife but the trouble is it doesn't stop the slugs and that's why I used something else this year). We did have a few cold nights in a row, even down to 4 degrees celsius, and lots of rainy weather recently. It's been suggested on this thread that the weather might be to blame, but I would be grateful for thoughts on this, as opposed to the slug pellets causing the deaths.
  • +1 19/05/2023 21:27
    I'm almost convinced it was the low temperature, as my box has a camera in it and the previous day/evening the adults were feeding the young as normal who were very active in getting there share. Then when I looked the following Morning they were all dead. Of Course it could be something they were fed.