Update - 31st May 2008
I have this evening opened up the box and removed the nest and dead chicks. There where also a couple of unhatched eggs.
I have used boiling water to clean the box and birdcam is now broadcasting again, although now obviously the box is empty.
Fingers crossed for a second set of chicks this year but I feel it will be a slim chance.
Tags: News
June 8th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Hello there mate, I live just down the road from you in Newcastle, we also had Blue Tits in our next box…… and it seems ours suffered the same fate as yourself and for over a wekk and a half had not seen the parents once, we assumed they either fledged or had died as we would normally see the parents many times during a day.
I’ve just got up my ladders to see for sure and to my horror there were skeletal chicks in there and a handful of maggots, I’ve also cleaned mine out with boiling water.
I think there maybe was simply not enough caterpillars or insects to go around? what do you think?
Here’s to hoping they will return next year.
June 9th, 2008 at 11:16 am
It certainly could have been a lack of caterpillars, next year I shall get some live bait to help them along.
I was going to do it this year but never got around to it :o(
June 10th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
What kind of live bait will you use, mealworm or something?
How would you put the bait out for the tits to get?
I’d do this myself if I thought it would help……. but I’d be unsure of how to actaully ‘present’ the bait to them as it were?
Cheers
June 10th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Yeah was thinking of meal worm.
We have a bird table so was going to put them on that and see how I got on.