Blue Tit Hawks
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Again this year my Blue Tit's have been eaten by a Blue tit hawk ( commonally known as a sparrow hawk) I was so concerned at their non appearance over the last 24 hours that I had a look in the nest box and found 9 young chicks which could only have been 24 hours from fledging.(all dead). Question, should I go to the bother off feeding my local bird population just to fatten them up for predators.
Feel a bit sorry for you Arthur - no replies as yet!
For what it's worth, I believe that we have to have predators. If you read Simon Barnes funny and excellent book 'How to be a bad birdwatcher' you may feel a bit better. Still, it is depressing when 'your' birds suffer misfortune. I still feel sadness and pangs of guilt over the blackbird fledgeling that fell out of it's nest in the ivy over our 'water feature' and drowned, if only I'd covered it over...ah well...
For what it's worth, I believe that we have to have predators. If you read Simon Barnes funny and excellent book 'How to be a bad birdwatcher' you may feel a bit better. Still, it is depressing when 'your' birds suffer misfortune. I still feel sadness and pangs of guilt over the blackbird fledgeling that fell out of it's nest in the ivy over our 'water feature' and drowned, if only I'd covered it over...ah well...
Jude
There are more questions than answers.
There are more questions than answers.
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peter
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Look at it this way, to have a Blue-Tit Hawk, you need a healthy supply of Blue Tit's. 
That's your job.
Only ever see kestrels round here.
That's your job.
Only ever see kestrels round here.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
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I have to agree. It's always sad when birds you've watched from the egg stage are killed. However, it's a dangerous world, and that's why the parents produce so many young. Each pair of blue tits only needs to rear two more blue tits to maturity over their lifetime to maintain the species.
I just wanted to add, are you sure that sparrowhawks are to blame in this instance? We have them swooping over our bird tables from time to time, scattering all the small birds, and the bigger female sometimes catches a wood pigeon. From the bird books we've got, my understanding was that they almost invariably take their prey on the wing.
On the other hand, all of the crow family, including magpies and jays, will take eggs and young birds from the nest. Also, they will store food for later use, which might explain why some of the young were killed but left in the nest. Woodpeckers are another possibility. They're my pet dislike at the moment - see separate note on red mason bee disaster. Well, it's nice to see them in the garden, but they can cause problems. I remember a keen birdwatcher telling me once that woodpeckers could be the worst of all for raiding other birds' nests.
I just wanted to add, are you sure that sparrowhawks are to blame in this instance? We have them swooping over our bird tables from time to time, scattering all the small birds, and the bigger female sometimes catches a wood pigeon. From the bird books we've got, my understanding was that they almost invariably take their prey on the wing.
On the other hand, all of the crow family, including magpies and jays, will take eggs and young birds from the nest. Also, they will store food for later use, which might explain why some of the young were killed but left in the nest. Woodpeckers are another possibility. They're my pet dislike at the moment - see separate note on red mason bee disaster. Well, it's nice to see them in the garden, but they can cause problems. I remember a keen birdwatcher telling me once that woodpeckers could be the worst of all for raiding other birds' nests.
Yes it is definitely sparrow hawks, my farmer friend lives 300yds away and he had two bluetit nests and he saw the hawk taking his tit's. As our homes are little oasis in a large desert of farmland there's not many places for birds to hide from predators. this predator must be stupid in the planning department because he has killed up to 30 Blue tits which might have kept him going in the winter when he needs them.
There was a murder of hoody crows round here and they lived off my chickens food but they have now been seen to, no Magpies or Woodpeckers in this neck of the prairie, unless the woodpeckers like fence posts.
There was a murder of hoody crows round here and they lived off my chickens food but they have now been seen to, no Magpies or Woodpeckers in this neck of the prairie, unless the woodpeckers like fence posts.
Hi Arthur e,
Thankfully, the people we bought our cottage from had the sense to put a conservatory on the front of it, and we use it as our dining area, and every single day we sit there and look at all the birds feeding in our mostly front garden, which borders a rather lovely deciduous woodland.
So we've got 'double-bubble', as in, the birds have their wild area to nest in and our rather well-stocked garden for food and water, in addition to their own habitat, like you.
No nest boxes though. Every species of bird takes its' own chance in life.
Unfortunately, we also have a wealth of Jays, Magpies, Crows, Jackdaws, Ravens, Sparrowhawks, Woodpigeons, Woodpeckers, Buzzards.....
But are also blessed with Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Blackcaps, Bull and Gold Finches, Firecrests....
I could go on forever !
I get extremely upset when there's a 'mishap', but that's the thing with nature.
But you'll like this one:
In my 'Grown-up-Girls Greenhouse' on Sunday, the double doors were open, and I heard this very urgent tweeting..... There at the other end, looking completely bewildered was the tiniest little blue tit chick, and it hadn't quite got the hang of this flying business yet.
Well, I tried for an hour, off and on, to get the little darling back out there with its' mates, but to no avail.
In the end, having completely won its' confidence, I was able to gently scoop her up and carefully place her outside in the big bad shrubbery to call for her mum come get her. It was funny as.
And every time I see those young ones on the nut feeders, or precariously hanging from my trees and shrubs now, tweeting away, I wonder if it's her.
Soft? Or What ? !
Nice though, eh?
Wellie
X
Thankfully, the people we bought our cottage from had the sense to put a conservatory on the front of it, and we use it as our dining area, and every single day we sit there and look at all the birds feeding in our mostly front garden, which borders a rather lovely deciduous woodland.
So we've got 'double-bubble', as in, the birds have their wild area to nest in and our rather well-stocked garden for food and water, in addition to their own habitat, like you.
No nest boxes though. Every species of bird takes its' own chance in life.
Unfortunately, we also have a wealth of Jays, Magpies, Crows, Jackdaws, Ravens, Sparrowhawks, Woodpigeons, Woodpeckers, Buzzards.....
But are also blessed with Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Blackcaps, Bull and Gold Finches, Firecrests....
I could go on forever !
I get extremely upset when there's a 'mishap', but that's the thing with nature.
But you'll like this one:
In my 'Grown-up-Girls Greenhouse' on Sunday, the double doors were open, and I heard this very urgent tweeting..... There at the other end, looking completely bewildered was the tiniest little blue tit chick, and it hadn't quite got the hang of this flying business yet.
Well, I tried for an hour, off and on, to get the little darling back out there with its' mates, but to no avail.
In the end, having completely won its' confidence, I was able to gently scoop her up and carefully place her outside in the big bad shrubbery to call for her mum come get her. It was funny as.
And every time I see those young ones on the nut feeders, or precariously hanging from my trees and shrubs now, tweeting away, I wonder if it's her.
Soft? Or What ? !
Nice though, eh?
Wellie
X
What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. The good they do is inconceivable....