Removed dead chicks, what amout the nest

[jones89]

Hi, sadly I had to removed 9 dead blue tit chicks yesterday. I don't think they were intentionally abandoned, just that something must have happened to the female, because up to this point she had been a brilliant mum. They were only 1-5 days old. I removed the chicks and some of the lining of the cup {with tweezers}. I put some fresh nesting material in the box but not actually in the cup. Should I actually remove all of the nesting and clean the box, or is there a chance that it may be used by other tits, or is it really too late for that.

[flossiemi]

Hi sorry to hear about your tits, I don't know the answer unfortunately. I saw your post whilst trying to find similar advice. We have a box that has had to coal tits looking after young. This morning a cat has managed to attack and eat the female. I can no longer hear the baby birds at all, the male keeps returning to nearby bushes and is eating the bird food but is making no attempt to enter the nesting box. How long should I wait before attempting to open the box.

[Lance Morgan]

I would remove all the nesting material. It usually has parasites etc in it. The next occupant will build a new nest.

[Kayleigh]

If you read on the rspbs web site it states it is in fact illegal to remove and clean out nesting box's till September..

So you should not be touching them..

[diggleken]

Originally Posted by jones89

Hi, sadly I had to removed 9 dead blue tit chicks yesterday. I don't think they were intentionally abandoned, just that something must have happened to the female, because up to this point she had been a brilliant mum. They were only 1-5 days old. I removed the chicks and some of the lining of the cup {with tweezers}. I put some fresh nesting material in the box but not actually in the cup. Should I actually remove all of the nesting and clean the box, or is there a chance that it may be used by other tits, or is it really too late for that.

Welcome to WAB.
What a shame.
There is always the chance of a late attempt or a second brood with another pair or another female with the original male if you leave it in place.
Just keep an eye on it to see, then clean out later in the year when all possible attempts have gone.
Good luck.
Ken

[Elizabeth B]

The RSPB produces a very useful leaflet about blue and great tits - they gave us permission to show it in full on our website. It's listed at the bottom of the index on our Home Page.

It includes this paragraph:

Tits and the law
Blue and great tits and their nests are fully protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird. It is an offence to intentionally take, damage or destroy eggs, young or nest of any tit whilst it is being built or in use. Nestboxes can be cleared out only between August and January (any infertile eggs remaining must be destroyed).

[Lance Morgan]

I suppose removing dead chicks would be OK otherwise nothing else would use it

[Jenny W]

Don't do anything with the nest yet, however there will not be another attempt this year I wouldn't have thought, it's too late. Blue Tit's very rarely second brood in the UK and when they do it's only if their first attempt has failed early on.

[dan-fisher]

Such a shame

[FUDGEY]

If I find dead chicks in my boxes they are removed. Against the law or not. I can see why these laws are placed, but if I'm 100% confident I am doing the right thing I will do it regardless if it's for the best. A few years ago I was right into Tawny Owls and one spring I had 12 using my boxes. One of them had been incubating 2 eggs for 40 days and I knew these eggs were infertile. Another of my boxes had 4 young and knowing the youngest would probably have not survived I transfered it to the box with infertile eggs and she fostered it and it fledged. What I done broke a law, but I felt so sorry for that bird sitting all that time knowing it was in vain. In the end I felt good about the outcome.