Live Stream of my Bird Box - Bluetits Nesting - Chicks Hatching Now

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 08:52

She just tried again with another huge caterpillar and gave up and ate it herself.

She tried to feed it for about 30 seconds and the chick had its mouth open the whole time to receive it but because the caterpillar is so long and the chick is squirming and thrashing around so much she just couldn't get it in and so for the third time today she brought him a caterpillar and ended up eating it herself.

Minxy · 20 May 2020 at 09:21

Do they not regurgitate food for the chicks?

Mason- · 20 May 2020 at 09:22

I thought that too @Minxy but it doesn't look like it for Blue ****. They just clutch the food in their beaks and try to drop it in the mouths of the chicks.

Looks like she's heading out again. Hopefully this is a successful feed this time.

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 09:26

Yeah I tried to research this a couple of weeks ago but don't think bluetits do. Think they just feed solid food.

She just seems to be having difficulty physically getting it in to the chicks mouth I suppose because the caterpillar is so big and because the chick is thrashing around so much to try to her attention and out compete any siblings

Yaayuh! · 20 May 2020 at 09:36

@Nazbit
Have you tried putting out wet mealworms? Just moisten some up in water and spread nearby.

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 09:41

@Yaayuh! Yeah I've tried dried mealworms, rehydrated meal worms and live mealworms.

She's not interested.

Even posted some live mealworms in to the box when she was out yesterday as a last resort when it looked like the chick was dying. She takes them back out and throws them away.

There's plenty out in the feeders should she choose them but she doesn't seem to see them as a viable food source for the chick unfortunately.

Mason- · 20 May 2020 at 09:51

Not looking good. Mother just came back with a caterpillar, started chirping and the chick didn't open his mouth

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 09:54

Did it not? I was away.

She needs to get some food in him really soon.

She's trying. She just seems unable to do it

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 10:58

Still not seem him get anything to eat. Seems like she's been gone a while

Mason- · 20 May 2020 at 10:59

He's been alone since 10:15 :/

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 11:01

The one in the corner only lasted 40 mins on its own didn't it.

Mason- · 20 May 2020 at 11:04

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 11:19

Over an hour now. Where is she

LeeUK · 20 May 2020 at 11:27

Not looking good.

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 11:37

Starting to think she's not coming back or something has happened to her.

This is a long time to leave the chick alone. She has been taking a long time to find food generally but don't recall her being away this long since the chicks hatched.

It's the heat issue as well. The other chick died on the corner after 40 mins on its own.

Temp outside right now is 17.6c so it's warmer than previous days.

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 11:45

1.5 hours.

Think I'm going to end the stream now.

I'll let you know if she does reappear but it's highly unlikely now. Even if she does I doubt she can save the chick.

Junglist · 20 May 2020 at 12:20

Could it be the Sparrows put her off?

Could you intervene and feed it some bugs? I know I wouldn't be able to resist trying to save the little guy

Diddums · 20 May 2020 at 12:21

This is sad

Nazbit · 20 May 2020 at 12:37

Junglist said:
Could it be the Sparrows put her off?

Could you intervene and feed it some bugs? I know I wouldn't be able to resist trying to save the little guy

I guess either something got her or she was injured by the sparrows yesterday or she decided to abandon the nest.

A big part of me would like to help the chick and I have enough live mealworms to last it's it's lifetime.

But I'm not sure it's the right thing to do. It's certainly the human thing to do. But these aren't humans they're wild animals.

Even if I kept it warm and fed I'd be keeping it alive but not sure I'd be giving it a fair shot at life. I can't teach it any of the things if needs to learn from its parents.

It would likely die after being released either at the hands of a cat or from failing to feed and support itself without having learned basic survival skills from its parents.

On balance it may be crueler than it is kind. But people will have different opinions on that.

Diddums said:
This is sad

Very sad indeed. I've been watching these two Bluetit parents visit the nest box since November.

LeeUK · 20 May 2020 at 12:46

Is there no local voluntary wildlife rescue groups that can take it in? I often see posts for them on local FB groups in my area. They will likely have more experience in this kind of thing.