Wanna see my tits?

[mudskipper]

how do they disappear so


completely ?

I think they get buried in the bottom of the nest. Mother spends a lot of time with her arse in the air digging underneath. The two left look big and healthy, but then so did their sibling yesterday.

[EternalOptimist]

I think they get buried in the bottom of the nest. Mother spends a lot of time with her arse in the air digging underneath. The two left look big and healthy, but then so did their sibling yesterday.

the bottom of the nest ?

probbly ate, or pushed out


.come on you last two

[mudskipper]

the bottom of the nest ?

probbly ate, or pushed out


.come on you last two

They look quite big to get carried out. The hole is quite high up in the box.

Sister sent me this info (sorry, didn't quote her source)

What to do about dead chicks - Adults will remove chicks that die one by one, even large ones, or the other chicks will tread them into the nest. Do nothing. If the whole nest dies, I'd recommend leaving it alone. Nests usually contain a lot of parasites, so if you open a dead nestbox you may well get a face full (and I mean full) of hungry fleas. It's not worth the bother.

Adults rummaging at the bottom of the nest - they do this in all nests, probably as a means of 'fluffing up' the trodden lining to keep it insulating, or maybe as housekeeping to remove parasites. She may have also been burying dead chicks out of the way.

[EternalOptimist]

They look quite big to get carried out. The hole is quite high up in the box.

Sister sent me this info (sorry, didn't quote her source)

What to do about dead chicks - Adults will remove chicks that die one by one, even large ones, or the other chicks will tread them into the nest. Do nothing. If the whole nest dies, I'd recommend leaving it alone. Nests usually contain a lot of parasites, so if you open a dead nestbox you may well get a face full (and I mean full) of hungry fleas. It's not worth the bother.

Adults rummaging at the bottom of the nest - they do this in all nests, probably as a means of 'fluffing up' the trodden lining to keep it insulating, or maybe as housekeeping to remove parasites. She may have also been burying dead chicks out of the way.

ok. I bow to the experts


you will be able to check for beaks next winter though.

it's a fantastic thing you are doing K2P2. damn fine work

[TimberWolf]

I'm wondering if I accidentally poisoned a Mallard (duck) today. I gave some bread to the ducks at the local pond, and when that was out tried them on chocolate. Some of the birds turned their nose up at this treat initially, but others took to it with more zeal, though with some difficulty dealing with the chunks I had made as small as was possible to chunkerise with fingers. Anyway, just as I was leaving I noticed a Mallard flat on its back, stone dead, and I've since read that chocolate isn't good for them. Bread isn't great either.

[mudskipper]

And then there was one.

Yesterday, both chicks looking good. Getting big, lots of feathers, and were stretching wings and looking to be getting ready for the off.

Last night I noticed mother didn't sit on them as she normally does. Figured they could probably keep themselves warm as they now have feathers. But this morning, one is dead as a dodo. One chick left, still being fed. Due to fledge any time over the next few days, so really hope it makes it that far.

Depressing. Bloody camera. Without it I'd be happily oblivious.

[Troll]

Noticed odd behavior this morning in the adults - going to the box but not going in, then flying to nearest bush and repeating...aha I thought enticing the fledglings out, noticed no activity to or from the box this afternoon so lifted the lid off and two dead chicks ...not sure of the original brood size but bummer - wonder if it's to do with the poor weather?

Deffo a tit cam for next year!

[mudskipper]

Noticed odd behavior this morning in the adults - going to the box but not going in, then flying to nearest bush and repeating...aha I thought enticing the fledglings out, noticed no activity to or from the box this afternoon so lifted the lid off and two dead chicks ...not sure of the original brood size but bummer - wonder if it's to do with the poor weather?

Deffo a tit cam for next year!

OUrs definitely removed the dead chick yesterday - not buried.
Remaining chick still alive and well, and leaving the nest cup. Thought he'd gone awol, but he's at the back of the box, almost out of range of camera. Hoping he'll be ready for the off in the next couple of days.

Stuff I've read seems to suggest that survival is dependent on supply of caterpillars - so if the timing or weather's wrong, there's not enough food. Bird table food is no good for the babies, as they need the moisture from the caterpillars. But 9 out of 10 dying doesn't seem like a good ratio.

Will try and get a pic later if he comes back into shot - looking much more like a baby bird and less like an embryo.

[bless 'em all]

OUrs definitely removed the dead chick yesterday - not buried.
Remaining chick still alive and well, and leaving the nest cup. Thought he'd gone awol, but he's at the back of the box, almost out of range of camera. Hoping he'll be ready for the off in the next couple of days.

Stuff I've read seems to suggest that survival is dependent on supply of caterpillars - so if the timing or weather's wrong, there's not enough food. Bird table food is no good for the babies, as they need the moisture from the caterpillars. But 9 out of 10 dying doesn't seem like a good ratio.

Will try and get a pic later if he comes back into shot - looking much more like a baby bird and less like an embryo.

It's almost certainly due to the food supply. This poor weather has knocked the breeding season for six for many birds. It's just another blow for the small bird population after the bitterly cold winters we've endured.

It's not even nice weather for ducks. They've been hit by having their nests drowned by the rising water levels.

Mother Nature's a bitch sometimes.

[mudskipper]

It's almost certainly due to the food supply. This poor weather has knocked the breeding season for six for many birds. It's just another blow for the small bird population after the bitterly cold winters we've endured.

It's not even nice weather for ducks. They've been hit by having their nests drowned by the rising water levels.

Mother Nature's a bitch sometimes.

Last baby dead this morning

Shame - yesterday it was moving round the box, and I really hoped it might be up and away today.
Not to be this time - better luck next year hopefully.