Showing posts with label nest update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nest update. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 July 2016

Blackbird Nest Update; They've Fledged!

If you read my blog regularly (thank you to those who do, I love you!), you'll have seen multiple posts about the feathered babies in my garden. I got quite attached to them, to the point where Jack told me I'd be sleeping in the shed if he came home to find I'd 'rescued' one and brought it in the house. Alas I didn't need to as the parents have been fab and all babies are doing well.



They fledged on Tuesday and I only knew this when I came face to face with one of their little grumpy beaked faces sat on the outer foot-ledge of the conservatory staring in at me as I read a book! Barry cries quietly at the door to go out and 'play' with these speedy little things but I've had a stern word with and told him "no". He understands "be nice" anyway as I said it to him various times when he was a much younger pup and took an interest in my shelled babies, Squirt and Lola. He now knows not to think about touching them and if you read my last post you'll know he's now scared of them anyway haha!

Anyway, the baby Blackbirds may have fledged but they're not the most intelligent of birds. I think three have now left the safety of our garden but one still remains and he seems to like exploring the whole garden. I've found him sat on the broom, sat on the tortoise's house, amongst the blackcurrant plant and perched on my rhubarb. Yesterday the little fiend must have run into the shed while I had the door open as I was cutting the grass. I put the mower away without knowing, but when I put the tortoises outside earlier I could hear a lot of tweeting and could see Mr Blackbird with a beak full of worms hopping around the shed roof. When I opened the shed door there was little baby blackbird sat on a box of lawn seed on the shed windowsill! So he spent a night in the shed, but I carefully caught him and put him back outside and told him to stay away from Jack when he sees the bird poop EVERYWHERE in the shed!


The parents are still busy feeding them but hopefully they'll successfully fly off very soon :-)

Em x

Monday, 4 July 2016

Blackbirds Nest Update 04/07/2016

The babies are growing well and jostling around a lot in the nest as they're so big now; they keep pushing the smallest from the nest poor thing. I know it's nature and these things happen but I have rescued him a couple of times and popped him back on the nest as the tortoises come straight over to investigate who's fallen into their run and Barry follows quickly behind at the sound of the tweets, so I speedily pick him up (wearing gloves so he doesn't smell too much of me) and pop him back on the nest where he's safer. Mum and Dad don't seem bothered by me doing this, moments later they fly in with food for them all as if to say "thanks for baby sitting". I'm petrified some horrible cat will get them and they're so close to being able to fledge now, come on little babies, the quicker you can fly the safer you'll be! They're about 10 days old and I believe they fledge at around 14 days so not long now...


Photo from Friday

Photo from yesterday

Thursday, 30 June 2016

Blackbirds Nest Update 30/06/2016

I can confirm that all four chicks hatched safely and are growing well, I can't believe just how quickly they grow!


Mr and Mrs Blackbird are very busy parents, constantly bringing food for their hungry brood throughout the day and until the sun disappears each night.


More updates soon!



Em x