Kitchen Garden Forum

This morning I noticed a pair of blackbirds feeding a very young fledgling, then a few minutes later there was another one on the fence. I thought they must have two until another pair of parents appeared to feed the second one.
I made sure that the cats were indoors but had to dash outside shortly afterwards to frighten off two Magpies that were attacking them. They seem to have survived today, but it is amazing any survive with all the hazards they face just having a meal.

It's great to watch them, PP, isn't it? We have had two young blackbirds for about 10 days and mother is sitting on the next clutch. At first the youngsters scuttled into the undergrowth when we came into the garden but now they have realised that we provide currants for dad to feed them, so now they follow us round the garden and even into the greenhouse and garage (and the house, if we didn't shut the door!). They have just started to pick up heir own food, too.

Yes it,s a lovely time of year for seeing the fledglings. Our suet pellet bird feeder tube has been emptied twice today !. Parents of all kinds, chaffinches, blackbirds, starlings, tits are all queueing up on the fence for their turn to take a pellet and fly off to feed their young and anything put on the bird table disappears within minutes. Our local pet shop is apparently having problems keeping up with demand for bird food from all the local bird aficionados..

I,m particularly looking forward to seeing the youngsters of of two pairs of adult goldfinches who've been visiting us all winter - it,s really the first time we have seen any around here. To help establish a new small flock would be very rewarding.

My Robins have fledged from the nest in the shed without me getting a photograph. Not like the Blackbirds, they've been hidden away somewhere in the bushes with the adults collecting and delivering.

Yesterday in the rain I mixed some more potting compost and started putting Brassicas in 3½" pots. Went to the shed for more pots and there in amongst them was a new Robins' nest with eggs. Better position this time so there will be photographs. Don't hang about between broods do they.
Also today the Swifts are back at last.

Swifts are back here, too, already screeching overhead!

We found a very young dead fledgling (robin? blackbird? house sparrow?) on our car bonnet today and assume it had been dropped by a magpie. We don't often get magpie problems but this year there appears to be a particularly keen one on the block. At least there is still plenty of time for the parents to start again.

i think it should be very sweet . i love bird especially small one .

Didn't post a photo of the Robins in the shed as they got predated the day they hatched but then the Swallows moved in. Never had Swallows in the shed before, I think they were a young pair that the others wouldn't accept in the garage. Anyway I don't think they will be in there much longer.

Delightful photo Geoff. Enjoy them while you can. Always a privilege when you can provide houseroom for these delightful birds. As a matter of interest, I'm wondering if they use the same nests if they return again the following year. If they do, I'm sure you will be looking out for the at the first smiff of summer ! And if the parents don't survive If wonder if the babies will remember the location and return to it.

We regularly get jut one nest in the garage, they don't reuse them, I have a clear out every so often. I've asked on here before that if Swallows do return home why don't they suffer from in-breeding? Perhaps there are dating agencies in Africa and they come back with a new mate. I'm going to modify the shed door this Winter so the birds can come and go without me having to leave it open so perhaps whatever the predator was won't venture in.

You are so lucky Geoff, there are fewer swallow, martins and swifts every year round here. I have noticed in the past week that there are newly fledged families of lots of different varieties of birds as though they are making up for a late start with the cold spring.

We could do with a lot more of them, the fly population has been horrible this year.