Baby Birds

[ksg1970]

Well, seems to be that time of year again and I cant help but feel I should help some of the baby birds. (but of course I wont)

Yesterday we had a baby starling who just lay on the grass but I had to try and move it as there are cats in the area. I got so close but it eventually managed to fly. By the evening it was able to fly and even managed onto the bird table to feed itself. It has been back feeding today.

Today, a baby wood pigeon sat on the lawn, totally oblivious to any danger. It fell asleep on the bird table but eventually managed to fly off

Do the parents just 'leave them to it' when they fledge the nest ?

We have so many birds building nests, coal tits, blue tits, gold finches and bull finches (they have been destroying my inner layer on the hanging baskets). We also appear to have a very large bird of prey hovering above over the weekend which does worry me but yes, that is nature for you I suppose.

Last year I witnessed a sparrowhawk kill a baby blackbird and sit on my fence with it in it's claws. Very distressing but yet again nature. Yesterdays bird of prey was much larger but too high up to identify. We did witness what we think was a crow chasing the bird of prey in much distress. Is this normal ?

[forestwildlife]

Parents will continue to feed the fledglings for a little while after they have left the nest, last year i watched the chicks of the house sparrows sitting on the bird table with the food right in front of them and the parents were still feeding them
Yes its very normal for crows and other species to hound BOPs to chase them away from nest sites and the such.
Well done for not interfering by the way it is nature but still very hard not to attempt to help.

[ksg1970]

Thanks,

Yes,very hard not to interfere, guess that's my mothering instinct !!

Unless I saw a bird in obvious pain or danger then I just have to make sure they get on with it in their own way. The baby starling has amazed me and come on so well since yesterday. I just had to point it in the right direction as it sat sunbathing on the ground and let me get so close so I was scared cats etc would get to it.