They've all died!!!

[mrstixx]

Thought i'd post this to get some expert opinions as I know very little about birds. Anyway, I've been keeping an eye on a Blackbird nest I recently noticed in my garden. For the last week or so there had been four chicks in the nest with two very attentive parents. A couple of days ago i pop out for a few hours, on my return i find a dead chick on the other side of the garden. No sign of injury, no blood, nothing. It was at an age where it looked like it was not far off leaving the nest anyway.

Last night my spaniel retreived another dead chick from the bushes below the nest. Again no sign of trauma or injury.The parents had been feeding them throughout the day.

This morning I went to check on them, could make out one chick in the nest. About an hour ago I find the chick out of the nest dead, and on further investigation another one dead in the nest and covered in maggots.

Any ideas? Poisoning or infection springs to mind, but the parents seemed very healthy. It's such a shame as they were so close to leaving the nest.

[Lance Morgan]

Might be a predator like Magpie or carrion crow.

[feathered-friend]

When did you last see the parents feeding them?

It sounds as though one of the parents have been predated i'm afraid

More likely the female was killed otherwise they would continue to be fed by her. I do not think the male would carry on alone, feeding them in the nest, maybe if they had already fledged he would have fed them.

As they were close to fledging it sounds as though one or two went in search of food, but unfortunately were too young to feed themselves.

[mrstixx]

Originally Posted by feathered-friend

When did you last see the parents feeding them?

It sounds as though one of the parents have been predated i'm afraid

More likely the female was killed otherwise they would continue to be fed by her. I do not think the male would carry on alone, feeding them in the nest, maybe if they had already fledged he would have fed them.

As they were close to fledging it sounds as though one or two went in search of food, but unfortunately were too young to feed themselves.

The parents were still around this morning, and were both regularly flying to and from the nest the previous day.

[feathered-friend]

Okay that blows my theory out of the water then



On a positive note if the parents are both still about, its likely they will try again for another brood!

[Picidae]

Disturbance by you checking the nest or your dog running around the garden could have an impact. For you to see into a Blackbird nest to see how many chicks are in it, you'd be close enough to disturb them, especially if you do this several times over the course of a few days. I'm certainly not saying this was the case, but just be aware if they do try again to avoid going anywhere near the nest site to check on how many chicks are in nest and perhaps keeping your dog out of the back garden just while they are nesting. Leave them completely to get on with it. Don't forget parents need to come down amongst the ground cover/under bushes to collect food for chicks and they won't do that if you or the dog is in the garden too much. They will perceive the dog as a threat even if he isn't in reality. Also be aware, Baby Blackbirds leave the nest before fledging and this makes them very vulnerable to predators (including friendly dogs who might want to pick them up to play with them if he finds one hiding under a hedge!). Checking the nest/going anywhere near it could very possibly bring the secondary attention of the nest to other predators or just attract them to the garden where there are unfledged birds on the ground (normal). A shortage of food, as a result of repeated disturbance by potential predator, could be a the cause of chicks dying at different stages/times rather than direct predation. It could also be the cause of unfledged grounded chicks dying of starvation because parents are unable to come down and feed them if there's a potential predator in the vicinity.

In short, I'd suggest your chicks very possibly died of starvation one by one as a result of repeated disturbance by an unknown predator/potential predator in the vicinity of the nest site.

You can actually learn more about what kind of danger is threatening your own pair of blackbirds (and thus what might have been the most likely predator in the event one finds them dead or dying) by listening and tuning in regularly to their various alarm responses. I know now when mine are alarming at a cat on the ground (when they are safe in a nest tree, not such a threat but 'warning' alarms which are even/regularly timed alarms or if the cat is on the ground but away from nest tree, a short burst alarm and flight to another tree - similar to curfew 'alarms') or when they're alarming at a Sparrowhawk (not such a big threat, alarming but safe-ish in the knowledge Mrs Blue Tit is likely to get it first and similar to curfew alarms!) or when they are alarming at a Jay/Magpie/crow in the nest tree (major imminent threat and lots of movement/flapping through tree - you can nearly always hear the predator in this instance too) or indeed when they are alarming at a chick in danger on the ground from a cat (Major major threat and but in this case flying low over the garden and trying distraction techniques such as hopping down and hopping back up onto fences!). In the case of the latter, I get out there in double quick time and yell at said cat, often just in time! Cat under nest tree, I generally chuck a small potato at in it's general direction or water The rest is unpleasant but I leave other predators and Blackbirds to get on with it. Next time they nest, it will be in a safer area.

[mrstixx]

Originally Posted by Picidae

Disturbance by you checking the nest or your dog running around the garden could have an impact. For you to see into a Blackbird nest to see how many chicks are in it, you'd be close enough to disturb them, especially if you do this several times over the course of a few days. I'm certainly not saying this was the case, but just be aware if they do try again to avoid going anywhere near the nest site to check on how many chicks are in nest and perhaps keeping your dog out of the back garden just while they are nesting. Leave them completely to get on with it. Don't forget parents need to come down amongst the ground cover/under bushes to collect food for chicks and they won't do that if you or the dog is in the garden too much. They will perceive the dog as a threat even if he isn't in reality. Also be aware, Baby Blackbirds leave the nest before fledging and this makes them very vulnerable to predators (including friendly dogs who might want to pick them up to play with them if he finds one hiding under a hedge!). Checking the nest/going anywhere near it could very possibly bring the secondary attention of the nest to other predators or just attract them to the garden where there are unfledged birds on the ground (normal). A shortage of food, as a result of repeated disturbance by potential predator, could be a the cause of chicks dying at different stages/times rather than direct predation. It could also be the cause of unfledged grounded chicks dying of starvation because parents are unable to come down and feed them if there's a potential predator in the vicinity.

In short, I'd suggest your chicks very possibly died of starvation one by one as a result of repeated disturbance by an unknown predator/potential predator in the vicinity of the nest site.

You can actually learn more about what kind of danger is threatening your own pair of blackbirds (and thus what might have been the most likely predator in the event one finds them dead or dying) by listening and tuning in regularly to their various alarm responses. I know now when mine are alarming at a cat on the ground (when they are safe in a nest tree, not such a threat but 'warning' alarms which are even/regularly timed alarms or if the cat is on the ground but away from nest tree, a short burst alarm and flight to another tree - similar to curfew 'alarms') or when they're alarming at a Sparrowhawk (not such a big threat, alarming but safe-ish in the knowledge Mrs Blue Tit is likely to get it first and similar to curfew alarms!) or when they are alarming at a Jay/Magpie/crow in the nest tree (major imminent threat and lots of movement/flapping through tree - you can nearly always hear the predator in this instance too) or indeed when they are alarming at a chick in danger on the ground from a cat (Major major threat and but in this case flying low over the garden and trying distraction techniques such as hopping down and hopping back up onto fences!). In the case of the latter, I get out there in double quick time and yell at said cat, often just in time! Cat under nest tree, I generally chuck a small potato at in it's general direction or water The rest is unpleasant but I leave other predators and Blackbirds to get on with it. Next time they nest, it will be in a safer area.

The nest itself is in a fir tree right next to the patio, and about 5-6 feet off the ground. Standing on the patio you can actually see through a gap in the foliage straight into the nest. Any observation was unintrusive, but, it is probably the busiest area of the garden as you have to walk past the nest to get to the lean-to/shed, which has our rabbits and a chest freezer in it. The dogs only really go out there for short periods during the day, and didn't seem to stop the Blackbirds from being successful last year, but last year the nest was right at the other end of the garden away from the house.

After returning from being away for a few days, I've noticed the Blackbirds are back in the garden again, and seem to be hovering around the same area. If it is the same pair would they use the same nest again? I think they like it here as there is an endless supply of worms available from our composter!

[rossy]

hello mrstixx its unlikely they will use the same nest again, but will build somewhere in your garden, i had a pair which werent successful, and couldnt understand why, as only 2 eggs which had 2 small holes in when i checked after it was obvious the pair had deserted, so got rid of the eggs, a few days later a crow went straight to where the nest was , which was well hidden in bushes, so was it the crow ? these hadnt been disturbed, anyway they have nested in next doors conifer and now have chicks, so i think your pair will, rossy