Blackbirds

Competsoph

Hi all,

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been watching a lovely blackbird couple tending to their fledglings tucked away in my large ivy bush. I’ve peeked a couple of times but really only watched from the side lines. Mum and dad come often, feeding and watching the chicks. The chicks are probably a week or so old, I doubt very much old enough to fly.

Ive been out for a walk today and on returning have found the nest pulled out, upside down, hanging from the rest of the ivy. I’ve found an egg on the floor, unhatched, likely incompatible with life, but nothing else. No babies or evidence of them in the nest or on the ground surrounding the area. I’ve tried to tuck the nest back into its holding with the hope that mum and dad will come back and tend to it. 

Otherwise I’m devastated as I believe the only explanation would be a cat or other predator. I’m hoping for a nice ending but I doubt that is the case. Is there anything else I could do for the birds?
Nature really can be cruel 🕊

Davesnave

The blackbirds will get on fine without your intervention. We've had the same with goldfinches this year. It's probably been young birds learning what doesn't work, but there's plenty of breeding season left for them to have another go. The goldfinches, came back to dismantle parts of their nest, no doubt to recycle them, as it was just chicks that were taken.

As we'd prevented cats reaching the nest, our raider came from the sky and was probably a corvid.

Lorian

Magpies or a crow would be my guess, other predators can do it too. Don't be devastated, they will try again. Just keep them fed.

Grenage

Magpies are a nightmare for this, but that's life and they've got young to feed too.  That's probably why blackbirds rarely use the same nest for subsequent broods; once the predators know there's a nest it's often just a matter of time.

Competsoph

Thanks all, I thought as much. 

I can’t see how the predator found the nest, it was pretty well hidden and my garden is relatively protected, I’ve never even once seen a magpie around. 

It doesn’t look like they are coming back to the nest, no activity for the past few days since. Sad times. 

Davesnave

Just n

Competsoph said:

 Sad times. 

  It's the record-breaking weather in my area that's placing a strain on some wildlife. The rivers are all dangerously low for the time of year, meaning the streams, ditches and small ponds have dried-up already. Many amphibians will be having a hard time. The insects are doing well though.

Every year is different and each difference has consequences. Here, predatory birds cruising the hedgerows is a one of the more consistent things in the nesting season.