General Chat

I have spent most of the day keeping an eye on a tiny fledgling bluetit. Its 2 siblings seem to have blended into the general melee, but this one has been sitting on various branches, occasionally plunging to the grass below, unable to work its wings properly. The parents have fed it a little, but seem to have ignored it a lot. Next doors cat(s) have been predating.

What would you do to keep it safe overnight?

Angela

My heart says take it in. But I fear the stress of doing that would be just as harmful. It would also have to be fed and watered overnight. Realistically this is nature so I think leave well alone, the fledging just may be a lazy one and a fright from a cat or even a bird of prey will soon get him flapping its wings.

Best wishes and good luck

Tina xx

Sorry Angela but you just have to leave it alone. You might save it from the cat but how will you save it from the Kestrel which needs to feed its chicks.

Tina & Bond

I have to agrre with you both. Nature must prevail. How difficult it is, however!

Thanks for your replies.

Angela

As awful as it may sound, Tina and Bond are absolutely right. A few years ago I found a fledgling blackbird and went to no end of trouble to try and save it, with complete lack of success. I simply ended up with 2 very upset daughters.

Major B

I know you're right, but it's so difficult. :-((

Angela

I hate Magpies, I stopped them nesting in my apple tree, and I chase them off when ever they come in the garden.
I think they are getting their revenge though they park on my chimmney and chatter at 4.30am lol now where did I put that air pistol...(are they protected?)

I agree Angela, it probably wasn't meant to be.

I moved to the country to enjoy all the creatures but, honestly, they are a mean bunch! It really is survival of the fittest. Whenever we have interfered in nature to save something it has never survived in the long run - we have toughened up and don't bother any more. Sorry!

Dont think Magpies are protected as Alice has said they are part of the crow family. I think they are funny sometimes - they can be quite timid the daft bats. But agree they have a cruel streak.

Tina x

Alice, i've seen it, too. Not nice! They're classed as vermin around here and shot with the rats and what have you.

Yep

I've also seen the magpie around today - and a
woodpecker (which I haven't seen for several months). Do they know, I wonder.....?

Alice

Precisely - I will probably never know my little bluetit's fate.

We have farmland out the front & back, so plenty of predators.

Angela

Exactly. The one I'm talking about was half the size of an adult. Most of the fledglings I've seen were not much smaller than adult size.

I did take a photo though. :-))

Angela

ps, I'm really grateful for your interest.

I have counted around 25 different species of birds in our garden. I haven't seen a fox & rarely seen a squirrel (which we saw both of regularly in Surrey!)

Where are you Alice?

Angela

...Just popped in to say that rescue missions sometimes work in special circumstances.
As some of you know, I'm up here in the loft with the sloping roof and skylight above me.
Adjoining the slope is a flat roof where seagulls have nested.
On Saturday one of the fledglings was in our back garden.It must have fallen from the 1st floor level. It seemed unharmed and was strutting about. As it was still at the fluffy stage, it obviously needed alot more care before it could survive alone....but leaving it for the adults to feed would put humans in danger of adult birds swooping to attack if we ventured out.
After trying various people for advice, necessity took over. We cornered it in a narrower part of the garden, put it into an old pillowcase, swiftly took it through our house and up the loft ladder and put it out through the skylight.
Mrs Seagull looked rather surprised to see her offspring emerging like this but they seem OK and when I checked earlier today, I could see the 3 chicks sunning themselves on the sloping roof. I was worried that baby might not be accepted back, but all seems well.


Gwyn

That's a happy ending Gwyn, hope they all thrive, even tho they are noisy things sometimes.

My daphne plants have done well four very sturdy ones which will be put in a bigger pot soon with some more new plants I have bought and been given.
Thanks so much.
Lizx

...Not again !!!

Yesterday there was another seagull chick in the back garden....or was it the same one ?
They are from the same nest on the roof but of course are much bigger now. I think maybe they had been testing their wings, flapped about a bit, got caught by a gust of wind and 1 landed in the garden and was unable to get up again.
I left it for a good few hours and when it became apparent that it was not going to cope, the old pillowcase came into play again. The youngster was not happy about being cornered but once the cloth covered it's head it went quiet and was quickly taken through the house and popped out of the skylight, to a big welcome from many Kent-based gulls.

They're fine and have just been peering in through the skylight above me, but do they think I've nothing better to do on a Saturday than rescue seagulls??

Gwyn