General Chat

Morning Liz .you cant control nature its a shame when birds nest get raided .we had black bird last year make a nest just inside one of the bushes .I could see mum on the eggs .but one morning went to look & the eggs were broken .we do have a couple of cats come in the garden .& Crows .Jackdaws .they nest in the big trees round the area were we live. awful blinking birds . :-|

Foxy has been and gone, and soon after, the hedgehog. They both snacked on the bits of bread etc the starlings left had a drink and disappeared. Foxy stood for a second to watch me watching him. Hedgehog is used to me watchinng through the patio doors

Lizx

We do have a pair of magpies which I scare away if I see them, but the loss happened around midnight so wouldn't be them. The security light goes on when even the hedgehog comes to this end of the garden whicn is how I know what's about, I can see througn to the garden from my seat in the lounge and didn't see or hear a tthing to suggest a problem. O.h. said the nest doesn't look damaged.

Lizx

Crows and magpies raid nests, I say one once with a baby tit. Will not say what I saw it do!

These are the most likely culprits, they will have far easier acces to the nest than any cat.

Have you got any crows or magpies around your garden Liz? Always sad to see nature at its worst.

the urban fox is a first rate pest you should shoot it not feed it

We were so pleased that our special blackbird had nested close to our house in the overgrown jasmine and she seemed very trusting, allowing me to take a photo every morning when she was out foraging for food. On 26th April the fourth egg hatched and I watched the four babies grow, with open mouths waiting for food. We put out lots of things for them, to help with the feeding as there are lots of birds using our feeding stations etc

On Tuesday night I went outside to tip out some water from a pan that had been soaking. I could see Ma Blackbird on her nest as the security light went on.

Later I saw the fox arrive to eat something I had left for him, then the hedgehog turned up too.

Just as it got light I went outside and noticed Ma B. wasn't on the nest. I held the camera up over the nest and felt sick to the stomach to see it empty. There was a little blood on the edge and in the bottom too. No sign of anything under the nest or around it. Then Mr Blackbird arrived with food in his beak, he looked bemused, his head going from side to side as if he couldn't believe the nest was empty.

Later we spotted Ma Blackbird so at least she is ok but she obviously won't come back to the nest she worked so hard on.

A little while ago I spotted a small white cat in the garden (around midnight), not one I recognise so I am wondering if it was the culprit.

We were really looking forward to seeing the young birds grow as we did their mother last year so feel sad that won't happen

Sometimes nature is cruel

Lizx