FLEDGINGS AND VEGETABLES

After the great tit chicks fledge the nest earlier in the week, the blue tits managed to wait until someone could witness their departure into the big wide world – well the area around the garden.

The numbers of great tits that fledged is unknown, and while there were eight blue tits that fledged, a maximum of six were spotted high in the trees calling for food and reassurance.

It would be surprising if all eight didn’t fledged, but it’s so hard to tell if they all did.

The first one leapt for freedom at about 11am, but it took until mid afternoon for the last one to come out, and then a further couple of hours to reach the others at the top of the trees overlooking the garden.

They roosted nearby as they could all be heard at dusk chattering away, and at dawn they could be heard again.

They’ll probably be taken further afield by their parents in the coming days, but hopefully they will come back later in the summer to see their original home garden.

The vegetable growing season is well underway now with tomatoes, broad beans and chilli peppers all coming along nicely.

A few sunflowers have fallen victim to the snails and slugs in the garden, but the rest, along with some tomatoes and all the broad beans, are now outside.

It’ll be another month or so before we see if the sunflowers reach their potential, and if the tomatoes, chilli peppers and broad beans produce a good crop.

CHICKS ON THE RUN?

The local population of house sparrows, robins, great tits, blue tits and the resident magpies have been making the most of the mealworm hand-outs in the garden recently. 

And it seems to have benefitted the great tit chicks as they are seemingly about to fledge.

They did hatch about a week before the blue tits, so it can only mean that the garden could soon be without the chirps from hungry chicks – unless of course the parents decide on a second brood.

If the great tit chicks are seen, then images will appear on this blog in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately the great tits nested in a nest box without a camera, after it was moved to a different box over winter, so there’s been no opportunity to see them.

And while the blue tit nest box does have a working camera, it has only produced limited clear video footage, up until today…

It looks like all eight blue tit eggs hatched and all eight are doing very well. Fledging will probably be early next week, but here’s a couple of pics of life today for them, including an early stretch of the wing and flight feathers.

Fingers crossed both fledgings can be filmed or pictured, and perhaps even one of two of them jumping on us, as they did a few years ago.

The robins and blackbirds could soon by showing off their chicks soon, although with a pair of magpies with young, they would be wise to keep well out of the larger birds’ pecking range.

With colour now emerging from all corners of the garden, it just needs some warmer and sunny days so us humans can sit out and enjoy it too.

HAVE THE BLUE TIT EGGS HATCHED?

Recent weather has been favourable for the bird trying to raise young this spring, albeit with quite cold nights.

The great tits have been busily feeding many hungry mouths in one section of the triple nest box, while the blue tits have been incubating their clutch of eight eggs.

And just two days ago they hatched, although the exact number of hatchlings is yet to be determined because of issues with the camera.

There are a number of house sparrow nests nearby, but it doesn’t appear that they are using any of the nest boxes in the garden.

They have all been receiving regular supplies of mealworms, which have attracted other great tits, house sparrows, robins, magpies, and the recently returning blackbirds.

A pair of blackbirds has been seen recently in the garden, taking a number of grubs, worms and mealworms off to feed their youngsters.

The garden is literally coming alive with spring life, including the first crane flies of the year and hundreds of flies and bugs.

It’s a great place to be in the spring and summer, watching the wildlife make the most out of the weather and being totally focussed on the breeding season.

Long may it continue and also long may the camera keep working so we can see the young blue tit chicks growing.

COLD SNAP BROUGHT THREAT TO EGGS AND CHICKS

Just when spring was warming up and the local birds had got the green light for laying eggs…

The recent cold snap forced the wildlife to seek warmth and shelter from bitter northerly wind and frequent hail showers.

The swallows had been basking in mild spring sunshine last week, producing aerobatic manoeuvres in order to find a mate, but now are only daring to take to the skies when the sun has spent time warming the air around the house and garden.

Among the birds that are seemingly on eggs or have chicks are the robins, blackbirds and magpies.

The goldfinches are still flirting around in pairs, while the house sparrows are still flying around in groups. Hopefully this weekend will be able to provide evidence of whether the latter are utilising the triple next box.

However, the blue tits have laid eight eggs in the original nest box with the camera, although the eggs were not being incubated by either parent in the time spent looking at the nest for a while. 

But, now the eggs are rarely seen because of the incubating adults.

This weekend saw a return to more favourable spring weather and has hopefully given the wildlife the opportunity to carry on with their breeding seasons.