Nature Features

And if you've got any advice or help for Dave or a portable aviary... we want to hear from you... get in touch by filling out the form below:

rob pearson
hi i've got a bluetit nesting in my garden which has had 5 baby's bugt three have dissappered colud they have died? please colud anyone help me asap.

Lucy
I think the animal section of your website is great. One question... How many babies does a blue tit have each year. 1, 3, or 14?

Daisy brimsted
can you pick them up when there mother and father are dead

daisy
my sister has found a bab blue chick on the road, we have taken it in , and are wondering what to feed it, it is very weak at the moment, we would appricate any advice you can give us thankyou very much xxx

dessieh@eircom.net
what size hole & dimensions for bluetits nest & facing which way thank you

Felicity
We have found a young blue tit, he looks about the same age as the birds on your last pic. So far hes been eating maggots every 30mins however after reading this i'll up it to 15mins. Do you do this 24hrs a day or just in daylight?

allen.woods
great tits have built a perfect nest in the nesting box in my garde,they started building about early may,i went on holiday on the 20th may and she was in the box over night,i came back on the 29th of may and ther is no sign of the birds but the nest is in tact and in great condition,please help,sorry i cant help dave this is my first venture into bird life

a random person
do you know roughly when blue tits leave their nests, because we have some, but have missed them leaving every year for about four years and would really like to see them leave the nest.

braders
i want to know that too kayle why do they leav the nest before the chicks hatch

Alex
Hi i have found an abandoned blue tit and it will not eat worms what do i feed it?

vicki
hi we have a blue tit nest under our roof tiles outside of our balcony door we can only just see in it, and have seen a few beaks but can hear chicks we think approx 1 week old all was well both parents feeding and now yesterday i found one on the balcony floor just under the nest i thought maybe a bigger chick had pushed it out now today we have found one on our decking underneath our balcony we can only think that a parent has taken this one out as it is too far away to fall. would they do this we are not sure if ther are any left we cant hear them now. its so upsetting.

Kristie
i found a baby blue tit in my garden and it cant fly and will not call for itss mum what shall i do with it..?

sue
On Friday we noted that our blue tit box had gone quiet. (2 hours past without any sighting of mum, .Previous to this 2 birds were seen caring for the chicks then after about a week 1 vanished( presumed had by predators)for the past fortnight at least 1 adult has been seen flying in and out looking after the chicks, When 1 chick left the nest it fell in the garden unable to fly, so we waited for approx 80 minutes but mum did not appear. So we reluctantly picked him up and put him back in the box. Approx another 40 minutes past and we decided that things wernt right. inspection of the box found 3 dead chicks and 4 living chicks 2 of whom were very weak. we brought them in and immediatly commenced feeding. sadly 2 died that night and 1 died in Sat pm. However the last remaning chick is going from strengh to strengh, and is beginning to peck and attemp flying. When can we release him. we would appreciate any advise.n Thank you very much My email is suetaylor27@tiscali.co.uk

caroline
hi do you know what they eat because the mum and dad are not coming back that often if you could text back asap it wold be gr8 thanks. :)

Kyle
why are the blue tits leaving they're eggs in a box nest before they've hatched? this has only happen last year and this year, can you tell me why??

Louise Austen
I ahve spent many happy weeks watching my blue tits build the nest, lay eggs and bring up seven lovely babies, mum was on the nest last night and everything was fine then this morning mum has gone and all the babies have died, apparantly overnight, why has this happened?

Annette Smith
Hi Dave my female blue tit has not come back to the nest and there is no male these are over a week old can I feed these with meal worms she has been away all day, worried please help.

ginett
i have got one how do i look after it

chloe
can you help me hatch one blue tit egg

Janis
Hi Dave and all my friends in chat.What has been happening with the web cam?? Has it been stopped?Is this the end sob sob.Has Rambo been spotted and are the robins ok.Please please some-one reply.Has OM webcam been took off also.Oh i'm so missing chatting to my wildlife buddies.Love Janisx x x x

??????????????
please could you tell me what a bluetit eats, do the female and male bird look the same, does it have any unusual behaviors it would mean a lot to me if yoku could help today thankyou

Alexandria
i have just came across a little blue tit all the rest of its brothers and sisters were dead and mother and father were no were to be seen!baby was out in the cold for a long time before i took him/her in to the house!u anne says i am scared for the little one when i do put him/her out in ti the wild they will probley die? it seams to want ti be fed all the time i am scared i will over feed it can this be dun? and i am feedin it on mashed egg,and i found a site that said cat food was ok!? it seams to like it and duz not look ill from it but it is kinda weird that it would be ok to feed it cat food! i have tryed bugs and stuff from the garden but he jist wont have it! is cat food ok? am just wondren about all the stuff in the cat food that mite not be to good for it? also how ofter should i feed him? would love some help ! Alex

Rachel
Hello Dave, We had two bluetits nesting in a box in our yard and before we went on holiday we could hear the cheeping in the nest. We have returned a week later and can't hear anything so assumed they had flown. We peered in this morning and saw no activity but silence and the yellow of closed beaks. A few minutes later we saw a blue tit fly in and then straight out of the box. Does this silence and fleeting visit mean that they are dead?

Jay
I have been watching the web cam all along and have become a regular addict :-)Well done Dave he is looking amazing now.

Anne (France)
It's nice you could at least save one ; since he is getting used to you, he might not even want to leave you the time coming ! ... and unfortunately he will lack knowledge of survival.

hannah
howdy hi, its amazing weve got blue tits livin in our bird house there soooo cute we can herevthem chirping if only they could stay young

Sarah
Hi, In need of advice. We have Baby Blue Tits in our bird box and the parents haven't been seen at all in the last 48 hours, we were thinking they have been abandoed. The babies have been coming out of the bird box in a attempt to fly. What should we do? We've put worms into the bird box a few times today but we just dont have enough to feed them. Quick response if possible.

ian
hi, need some advice. got a box with blue tits in for 2nd year now. they seem normal but i noticed a fledgling on the floor, seems ok and grown but cant really fly. is this normal. i just did a scan on the net and it says this is normal and the mother will feed on ground for several days. seems vunerable, but if normal will just keep an eye out for cats.

craftieSandi [from Australia]
Dave will you be updating us on Rambo's progress? I miss the daily comments from you regarding his progress.

louise wilkinson
hi dave, i have a question as i am worried about the baby blue tits i have in my bird box, i havnt seen the parents all day and am worried they have abandoned their babies, the babies are at the opening of the box openeing their mouths waiting for food, but the parents just dont seem to be anywhere, what should i do? thanks louise

Kierson
Wow, you are the bigger man Dave. We have some nesting right outside our window for the first time in a few years of putting up a box and feeding. Splendid job.

Anne (from Somerset)
It's a pity that the personal updates have stopped, especially for those of us that provided so much moral support for so long.

Ella Sturgess
my family found 4 baby yellow vinchs on 31st of may and they were in a bird house in are garden and 2 of them died in a drain and two of them were in the house still and one flyed out on my hand and and there mum feed the two chicks and can i ask you will their mum stay with them unil there old enough to go away on there own because they might have humam smell on them from ella

Dave Charles
29/05/2008 Thursday: Well a very overdue needed update, Only have Rambo & Faith now, both on a diet of dog food, wet dog biscuits, mealworms & chick rearing food. The chicks have always had plenty of water to keep them hydrated, just seemed to have a bit of a flat spot from the mealworm diet. This has now been changed and they have perked up really well. A real big thank you to all that have given me information about how to rear the chicks, it is very much appreciated.

Jay
Well done mate you've done great

Willsy
I've been watching the chicks since they've been brought in and I do think you've tried to do a good job, Dave and all credit to you for that but I feel they needed more fluids and at times more food - when I see how much food the parents bring back to nests, I wondered if these little ones were getting enough. I also think it's very hard for the chicks without their parents.

Tosh from Liverpool
Hi Dave you have done fantastic !! great to hear that the two chicks are doing well, and Rambo is cheekier as ever. Keep up the great work mate !! XXXXXX

Anne (from Somerset)
I know how hard you have worked at this Dave. You deserve a medal.

Adele
There only appears to be two in there now. What happened to the others? Also there is a lot of background noise. Are they outside?

Rosedbud
PLEASE PLEASE GIVE THE CHICKS SOME FLUIDS URGENTLY. THANK YOU. rOSEBUD.

john.curry52.fsnet.co.uk
How long after hatching before the chicks leave the nest for good-John Curry

Janet Attwood
I also have a home made box, which has been up for approx 5 years and used every year. This year is the first time we have installed a camera. When you do these things, you really only consider the element of watching nature take it's course, but when the newborns arrive and you see how vulnerable they are, you really are thrown into the stressfulness of it all. We have lost the male and have 10 eggs, 5 have just hatched today. I hope to God that the female completes the job, with a little help from us (putting out live food). However, I'm sure that if the worse happens, I will feel compelled to do whatever it takes to let them survive. I already feel drained after watching mine hatch and struggle around the nest hollow!!

Anne
Have been watching on and off all morning. See there are only 3 chicks left. Another one is also looking very weak and not feeding well. You have not updated your comments recently - obviously too busy.

liz
Hi DaveWell done it must be exhausting for you. I am a dog breeder and know I cant compare but the babies look alittle too warm and dehydrated to me perhaps a dropper with tiny drops of water may help. Good luck

Carole
Dave sorry to see you lost another baby but I know your doing the very best you can, Keep up the great work and God Bless Carole

Bev from Somerset
Keep up the good work.

Adele
Hi Dave, we have a similar problem to you. We had a camera in our blue tit box. We have 7 chicks and up until yesterday both mum and dad were feeding them. Last night however mum came home minus her tail feathers and seemed very unsettled. This morning she was gone and neither parent has been to visit the chicks. We now assume mum to be dead. After 9 hours we could see they were deteriorating (presumably hypothermia) so we bought them indoors. They now have thawed out and are responding and eating.

jen
omg EDDIE you don't feed them nuts, that is so dangerous for baby birds. For heaven sake tell your folks to stop STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, they should not better

Carole/Illinois
Dave I think your doing an awesome job and that your extra special for taking in the birds and helping them survive,Thats for caring, We need more people out there like you, God Bless you and your family, Carole

blakpooldave
you have done a great job dave lets hope they all make it

sylvia from athens greece
God bless you Dave!!!!

anne
the chick at the bottom of the screen doesn't seem to be doing very well - has no energy like the rest. not taking food like the others

Eddie
Surely you do not have to feed them at night---there are 10 chicks in my webcam box--parents are feeding them with aphids and peanuts.

Claire
Dave, you are just one awesome guy. Not only do you help me online and many others all the time, you are now helping these wonderful little birds and doing a fantastic job. I think it is just great what you are doing.

Allanah
Hard work much! You are well dedicated. Im going to do work now lol xx

Sally
really proud of you mummy,(Dave), keep up the good work xx

Marilyn
Has another chick died? :-(

Dave Charles
21/05/2008 Wednesday: Sadly we have lost the runt of the fledglings, being just after 11:20am Tuesday morning. On a brighter note, the other fours are feeding like it is going out of fashion, it is becoming a bit more tricky now to feed them as they move so fast, but also a lot easier because once the food is in the gape, they now swallow for themselves.

Dave Charles
20/05/2008 Tuesday: All five chicks are still with us, getting bigger & bigger each day. They are just starting to chirp now when being fed. Their eyes are still closed at the moment, but i am sure that they will be open very very soon.

verity
awwwwwwwwww so sweet, what happened to there mum why do you do the 15 minute feeds hun?

Anne
After they've fledged I'll keep an eye open for some extra large blue tits crossing the border into Somerset. If I see any, I'll know they are "Dave's specials".

Anne
I have been watching the chicks progress and I'm captivated by it. Well done Dave, you are doing a great job and I'm glad you got a bit of sleep last night. Well deserved in my opinion.

Dave Charles
19/05/2008 Monday. The chicks are doing really well and have a great appetite, as most of you will have seen by now, i am having to feed them with tweezers every 15 minuets. For the time being they are on a diet of fresh de headed mealworms.

Marilyn
Where are the parent birds now? Am I right in thinking that the chicks are being artifically fed and cleansed with tweezers?

Teresa
No Mother seen in the nest at 10:30 pm, also wondering who is using tweezers inside the nest and what for?

Lynn
What has happened to Mum? I was watching when suddenly appeared what I thought was a very pointed bird beak, then realised it was a pair of tweezers. How often will they have to be fed each day and do you think they have a chance of surviving? I do hope so.

mandajanie
I have been watching off and on this weekend. Am I the only one who has seen no sign of a parent? I am worried, and that's putting it mildly.

Dee Brown.Dilton Marsh, Wilts
My thanks to Dave - this has had me captivated for days, especially as I can't glimps into the Green Finch family that are nesting in our garden. thanks again.

James Harrison
Sadly, doesn't work on my Mac :-(

john
lovely pictures of the chicks this morning,i have great tits going in and out of my nest box in the garden,i can only guess that a similar thing is happening inside.

Dave Charles
18/05/2008 Sunday morning, the five chicks made it threw the night & all fed on mealworms from me, due to this the cam is now live once again.

Dave Charles
Am ever so sorry to have to say, but we have lost the mother bluetit and also one of the young, leaving us with five 17/05/2008. The male bluetit was feeding the chicks threw out the day, but at a very slow pace. He will not roost in the box over night & the chicks being left would die, so i have stepped in and brought the Box indoors to keep them warm & also feed them. They are feeding very well on mealworms from me, but i have had to take the webcam offline for the time being. If keeping the box indoors becomes successful, i will set the cam up & rebroadcast their progress, I shall also keep this page updated on a daily bases.

Cher
Wonderful, was thinking of rigging a web cam up in my nesting box, I get Great Tits nesting every year and both parents are going back and forth from sunup to sunset. Cats are a right pest, have to keep sending the Westies out to chase them away or the cats sit on the ground underneath the box, and the parents can't go in then...Anyway these birds that have blessed your garden this year are lovely thanks for sharing this with us.

Anita
I could watch them for hours but I won't as others are waiting. What a lovely thng to have in my own house, Thankyou.

Dave Charles
If your are unfortunate to receive the: "Stream is offline message", please give it a few minutes then retry, the webcam is live and broadcasting 24/7, but due to the shear interest the actual server is maxing out, with an average of 60 viewers all watching at the same time, as one person leaves it allows a new person to View. I Would also like to thank you all for your comments.

Allanah
Thats my family :)haxx

Jason
She is such a loving mother!!She is so cute!!Hope chicks grow up to be healty blue tits!And even have chicks of there own

Jackie Challis
Absolutely enchanting and amazing - I will watch everyday

Eunice Warinngton
Sad to say the blue tits are not live, have had two tries and no luck, p.s. Imean the webcam not the birds..

carol
Appears to be "offline?"

trudi
tried to watch blue tits and a message comes on screen saying'this stream is offline' can anyone help?

Merrylin
Alan, I don't think we have these birds in Canada, and if we did I think we'd change their names *giggle*

Merrylin
I saw the last egg hatch yesterday at 12:52 Canada time.

Alan Plumb
I have been watching the blue tits nesting with interest(what amazing pictures) - as i have b/tits nesting in my garden and they have been for the last 8-9 years(though not in the same box. There is quite a noise coming from inside. so there could be a few chicks in there.