Baby blackbird in our garden and shouting parents

[andy29]

Hi everyone. Apologies for the length of the post!

We have a male and a female blackbird who live a couple of gardens away, and come into ours for food a lot. They had babies a while ago, and at midday yesterday I came home to find mr and mrs both bouncing around outside our greenhouse, beaks full of sultanas and trying to look in. Despite trying to keep it closed up as much as possible, one of their little ones had somehow got trapped in their overnight - he must have gone in through the roof vents. The poor things must have been outside all morning. He seemed okay so I removed him/her from the corner he was in and put him outside. He then had his mum and dad both trying to shove the food down his neck at the same time! After that though, he stayed in our garden and his parents were bringing him back food, so as far as I could tell it all ended up fine. I hope I'm right.

I mainly came here to ask about what they did later in the afternoon, and especially about 6pm onwards. The little one had ended up at the bottom of our fence, still in our garden. The parents started shouting their heads off and jumping around on the top of the fence and the nearby roof. It was frankly quite distressing - in the early evening the mother was going for probably an hour almost continuously. I know for certain that they knew where he was because I was watching from way over the other side of the garden and they occasionally went right down to him. After going back inside for a while and the shouting carrying on for another 15-20 minutes I had another peek outside and hey had both left.

I have looked around today and I can see no sign of him. They have both been around again today but nowhere near as much as when the baby was in our garden. When I had seen him earlier on, he didn't really appear to be trying to fly, and the parents were shouting for a long, long time if they were trying to get him to move.

Is he likely to have flown off in the end? What does it mean when they are shouting like that around their baby? If everything is okay, do the parents stay with their young overnight when they have left the nest but are too young to get food or fly properly?

[greenace233]

Hi there

if you have cats in the area, then it would seem that maybe the cat got the bird which alarmed the parents. The baby blackbirds usually fly after 2 to 3 days after leaving the nest. I wonder where the other babies are, they usually have around four or five. I have blackbirds nesting (not hatched yet ) but hoping and praying for success. I read the other day 8 out of 10 nests fail. Last year all the nests failed in my garden except for the blue tits. Very sad and pesky cats are a very sore subject on here. If i see one in my garden i send the dog out, soon disappear over the fence. regards debbie

[andy29]

Hi Debbie

I did wonder what had happened to the others... who knows. All I can say is that apparently they have both been around today collecting worms, so they must still be feeding something.

It's sad that so many fail (especially after seeing and holding one) but I suppose at least the adults tend to get a few tries each year, so they should hopefully have some which survive. It's nature isn't it

I find it fascinating how they will put down the worms, insects etc. they have in their beaks, rearrange them into a neat pile ready for feeding and then pick them up again. You'd never realise they did that unless you saw it!

I love all animals but cats can try your patience... we do have one living near here, I didn't see it around but maybe it was at some point. In the evening I moved an ultrasonic deterrent to try cover the area.

Earlier in the same day I left my camera in the garden and looking through the recording last night I see that she was doing the same thing around him then. Maybe it's just to try and scare any predators away?

YouTube - Blackbird
(The baby is down behind that pot which she jumps on at the beginning)

[rossy]

hello andy, ive now put carpet grippers on the top of my fences which cost 50p a strip, and have a blackie sat on eggs at the moment, funny thing is she didnt budge while i put them on ,about 2ft away, and havent seen a cat for days now, ive tried allsorts believe me , but these seem to be doing the trick at the moment, mine failed 3 times last year, but dunnocks fledged ok, its frustrating and lots on here agree as we all love birds, rossy

[Doggle Avaddit]

Originally Posted by andy29

It's sad that so many fail (especially after seeing and holding one) but I suppose at least the adults tend to get a few tries each year, so they should hopefully have some which survive. It's nature isn't it
)

Yes, it is the way Nature works and it is not sad at all, unless you define it so.

It is a well honed process that works remarkably well, until humans interfere with it.

(No doubt because they think it is sad)

[Kayleigh]

I have had baby blackbirds in my garden like this for 2 weeks before they fly.
I try to keep cats out of the garden but its really hard there are lots of fatalities I even went over next doors fence to rescue 2 blackbirds that their dog had mauled the parents fed the babies and the young became really tame and would walk under the garden chairs when we were out as other birds tried to chase them off.
I even fed them worms from the compost bin.

[Doggle Avaddit]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I have had baby blackbirds in my garden like this for 2 weeks before they fly.
I try to keep cats out of the garden but its really hard there are lots of fatalities I even went over next doors fence to rescue 2 blackbirds that their dog had mauled the parents fed the babies and the young became really tame and would walk under the garden chairs when we were out as other birds tried to chase them off.
I even fed them worms from the compost bin.

Yes, well, I'm really not sure that taming the local wildlife is a particularly good idea.

I believe they have things pretty much sussed, and don't need your "help".

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Doggle Avaddit

Yes, well, I'm really not sure that taming the local wildlife is a particularly good idea.

I believe they have things pretty much sussed, and don't need your "help".

The dog had killed 2 of the chicks already I did not tame the bird it came round our feet as we sat still outside we did not touch the bird if we got up from the table the bird would move away it was totally wild the parents fed the bird at a distance it only came close to us as another blackbird was trying to chase it away from our garden it seemed to know if it stayed close to us the other bird would not come close.
It flew off and was never seen again.

[Doggle Avaddit]

I even went over next doors fence to rescue 2 blackbirds



Why do you think you are benefitting the birds by doing such a thing?

Sounds more like blind ingratiation to me. Its about time people stopped doing this.

[Kayleigh]

I am sorry but if you had heard the distressing calls of the parent birds then others would have done the same..
2 out of 4 chicks lived that day..
The blackbirds here dont stand a chance the young stay under the hedge in various gardens for one to two weeks if the dogs dont get them the cats will..
I dont give a damn what you think I did the right thing at the time, I gave them a chance..
The birds have not nested there again so they have learnt its not safe.
There are blackbirds going mad in the gardens here and today one attacked my dog so we have fenced off the lawn to give them a chance.
Right or wrong..
You are entitled to your opinion and me mine..
if it was sparrowhawk then that would be different I would not interfere.