Hi all, I have a very old bird box in my garden which has never been occupied while I have lived here. I have 5 rescue cats so al though I love birds, I don’t generally try to tempt them into the garden. This year, a pair of blue tits have nested in the box! So far, I have a system where the cats are only allowed outside when they can be monitored by me- it seems to be working but I’m really worried about when the babies fledge. How long does it take before the babies can fly properly? I’m thinking I will just have to keep the cats in the house during that time until they all leave the nest.
Thanks for posting. Although blue tits are most vulnerable immediately after fledging, cats can and do catch feeding adults. That said, you can't keep cats in for weeks. Re flying properly, they are better than some species after leaving the nest, but not great. They are more than capable of making it out of gardens though, and into better feeding areas, and safer resting areas. You may find that at fledging time, they leave the box and within minutes are also out of your garden. Depends on food availability, hiding places, numbers of surviving young in the box, presence of other predators like magpies etc. You should hear the young birds in the box, and see them at the entrance, in the days leading up to their departure, so it'll give you more of an idea of when to keep a closer eye on the cats. Consensus is best to keep cats in at dawn and dusk during the breeding season, which is times of day when many successful attacks occur.