Song Thrush nesting - reassurance needed

[jim]

A song thrush has decided to nest in a small potted tree on our patio - the patio is on the main entrance to our house and with our kids running around most days, the thrush is often scared off.

We were worried at first that she wouldn't brood enough to enable the eggs to hatch, but that has happened today - the first 2 newborns (out of 5 eggs) are out.

But since this morning she hasn't been seen - my question is: is this normal? My wife is getting particularly worried that they won't survive the night. I know the thrush fledgling survival rate is not great (30% chance of having one survivor) - should I just prepare her for the fact that the mum may already have left?

Thanks for any responses from similar pseudo-parents
Jim

[Rich_]

We have song thrush nesting in climbing plant on the wall, which will be hard to avoid disturbing. They don't seem to worried about people, the bird was collecting nesting material from the garden just a couple of feet from my wife as she hung the washing on the line, and it sat on the wall as I photographed it through an open window less than six feet away and it was fully aware of my presence.Today the wind was flapping the washing inches from the bird as it sat on the nest.

I noticed it was missing this afternoon but it has layed one egg. I think they do this until they have layed enough and then they incubate them together, so i'm hoping it will be succesful.

[nightshade]

I would explain the situation to the children emphasise the awe of having been chosen by the birds and ask them to be quiet and gentle around the nesting birds

[jim]

Unfortunately, the mother abandoned the nest on the day the first two chicks hatched.

From what I've read elsewhere this seems to be not too uncommon for thrushes, and probably has nothing to do with the fact that there were lots of people around.

Jim