URGENT i've disturbed a nest!!

caffers1981 · #1 (**permalink**) 24-04-2010, 09:33 AM

Please help guys I was just in the garden raking the dead leaves out of a bush and a bluetit's nest fell out. it has 1 egg and 2 VERY YOUNG chicks inside. I immediately picked up the chicks (they had fallen out) and put them back. What are the chances of the parents coming back? I feel SO BAD

(
Nicola

just looked into what the eggs are, it is a robins nest not a bluetit. If the parents don't come back should we try and feed them?

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 24-04-2010, 09:44 AM

Morning Nicola, annd welcome to WAB!

Is the nest exactly back in place now? If so, the parents may have been away and not noticed. Hopefully they'll return none-the-wiser - did you wear gloves to pick them up? Scent transferral and that.

Keep checking, and hopefully it'll all be OK! Let us now what happens.

Take care,

Jason

Pigeon feather · #3 (**permalink**) 24-04-2010, 09:45 AM

Hi, don't feel bad accidents happen but just place the nest straight back where it was and leave it be the parents should return you need to do this asap though, attempting to hand rear the young is extremely hard work and may not be successful and then the birds will be too accustomed to humans and be difficult to release.

caffers1981 · #4 (**permalink**) 24-04-2010, 09:46 AM

Thanks Jason, I don't know exactly where it came from but pretty sure I've put it back in roughly the right place and no I didn't use gloves, I was panicking and didn't think

RKB · #5 (**permalink**) 24-04-2010, 10:02 AM

They're sometimes pretty nonchalant about it, so as long as the nest is within 6" of where it was, and the whole area looks roughly the same, they'll possibly be ok. You'll soon know anyway - go out and check in a few hours and if the chicks are alive it's ok. If not, well, you weren't to know.

Gloves are not needed - Robins (and most birds) cannot smell any better than we can. If birds were worried about scent then nobody would ever be able to ring chicks - I do about 1,000 per year and have no problems! It's mammals that are nervous of scent.

caffers1981 · #6 (**permalink**) 24-04-2010, 10:05 AM

Thanks, the nest went back straight away I know hand-rearing is a silly idea but i'd be so gutted if they died. I'll let you know how the little bundles of fluff get on.
Regards, Nic x

RKB · #7 (**permalink**) 24-04-2010, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caffers1981

I know hand-rearing is a silly idea

don't even think about it! It's hard work, of dubious value, and Robins get predated and lose nests all the time - they can cope, and they just have another one.

Maybe put a few Robin boxes up, so at least you might know where they are?!

mipake · #8 (**permalink**) 09-05-2010, 01:27 PM

Caffers... I was researching the forums because I had a neighbor's dog knock over a Robin's nest built on a fence in our backyard. One of the eggs rolled out and was dangerously perched on the side of the nest hanging on by a twig. I grabbed a papertowel, put the egg in the nest, and straightened it out. The whole time the mother was chripping pasionately at me. I checked about 10 minutes later and the mother was sitting the nest like nothing had happened. Apparently she is a very determined bird

I was wondering if this was normal or the exception to the rule. Now I am wondering if your robin ever came back? This happened a couple days ago and everything seems fine so far. I am hoping the little blue eggs with hatch just fine and my neighbor will keep their dogs inside when they do (my dog is on yard suspension for right now and isn't let out unattended!!)