Can’t believe I actually got this on film! The second blue tit fledges from the box. 

So close to fledging! Blue tit babies in the box having a keek outside. The parents have been calling on them to leave for 4 days solid. IT’S TIME TO LEAVE HOME GUYS! #anotherboringbirdtweet

I cleaned out the bird box. Look at the perfect blue tit nest. #anotherboringbirdtweet I was sad to throw it out, but I dare say it may have had mites. All clean and ready for next year, fingers crossed.

I cleaned out the bird box. Look at the perfect blue tit nest. #anotherboringbirdtweet

I was sad to throw it out, but I dare say it may have had mites. All clean and ready for next year, fingers crossed.

Blue tit fledgling: the little runt

The blue tits from the garden box fledged yesterday. Two that we saw got away safely and are still being fed in the nearby trees by mum from our feeders. The little runty one fledged about 8 hours after his siblings, and I have no idea how he ended up at the other side of the garden among the baby willow as he seemed unable to fly. Mum visited him frequently to feed him, and he hopped around quite happily for many hours, however he was attacked by a bird when we weren’t looking. This first nest box has been quite a rollercoaster experience.

The final baby went from the box many hours after it’s pals, but I’m quite worried to find it hiding amongst my baby willow, seemingly unable to fly. Mum is still periodically feeding it, and it has been hopping about, but it is SO tiny, and there has already been a magpie circling which I shooed off. I do hope the little mite survives. 

Blue Tit Fledging Day.

Early this morning two of the blue tit babies from the garden box had fledged, and were hanging around the neighbours’ garden with mum. As I type this late morning, there is still at least one baby still in the box, and mum is quite anxious to try and get him to shift. I don’t suppose I shall catch the moment, but I was delighted to capture one baby before they disappeared into the trees.

Baby blue tit update: ever decreasing numbers?

The beginning of this audio is from Sunday morning, there is one strong voice and at least one other quiet one. This is quite a change from the cacophony of tiny voices I heard a week ago. Today there is one very strong voice, sounding about ready to fledge, but that’s all I hear. I have the fear about emptying this box when they fledge, I fear I may find many little bodies. 

Defying the neighbours

It’s been a torrid time these past few weeks. The neighbour at the bottom of our garden has installed a hideous plastic owl to deter birds from their garden. It’s aimed I’m sure at the pigeons, but they couldn’t care less. It has however decimated the small bird population at such a crucial time. She is within her rights to do so, and I know to speak to her about it would be a bad move; we both have a temper.

Anyway, it gladdened my heart to see the blue tit that had previously shown interest in the box, filling it with nesting material, coming a couple of weeks on and storing food. There may be babies after all, if we are lucky.

Blue Tit surveillance #anotherboringbirdtweet

The blue tits have upped their surveillance of the two never used nesting boxes. They are flitting about most of the day, and one large individual has taken to chasing all the other birds away from the feeders. I wonder if they will breed?

Blue tit territory scuffle #anotherboringbirdtweet

Two mornings in a row a group of blue tits have been posturing and acting weirdly. There’s also been quite a bit of checking out the nesting boxes. I really hope they get used this year. 

I put a bird table out in our small suburban garden a year ago and a minor obsession was born.

Gorgeous Gareth (@downwithdesign) suggested I do a blog of the birds that come, so I did. He also gifted me the fabulous logo (thank you G xx). The blog is as much for me as anyone; I live in fear that one day they will all disappear.

PS. Should you be a masochist you can follow my daily garden bird ramblings on twitter, @serialfrenchies, usually under the #anotherboringbirdtweet hashtag.