Blue Tits fledging?

barry island

We have a nest box just outside the kitchen window and there have been Blue Tits nesting there for a month or more and for the last few weeks the parents have been flying back and forth from daybreak till sunset, I expected the chicks to fledge very soon and was excited at the possibility of seeing them leave the nest however the parents were busy feeding them yesterday morning but by evening they had disappeared and nothing seen today. Is it usual for fledging to happen without seeing the chicks leave the nest or in close proximity to the nest afterwards? I do hope the parents haven't been scared away when fledging was so near.

Fairygirl

I'm in the same position @barry island. The parents have been feeding like mad since about the start of last week. They're still doing that though. I hope yours are ok.

Perhaps @wild edges might be able to advise. 

Jellyfire

Very easy to miss them fledge, they will usually be in the vicinity, but might have gone a bit further to a neighbouring garden. You will probably start seeing them over the next few days as they get braver though 

Fairygirl

That's handy to know @Jellyfire. I'm going to set up the wildlife camera again in the hope I can catch one or two fledging. 
I've got one pair nesting - which was very unexpected, but delightful, and there's another pair which are coming in to feed themselves, along with great and coal tits. Think they're nesting in the trees/shrubs in a garden across the road. 

Pete.8

I have a tit box on my pergola facing the lounge and I get such pleasure watching them from January until now. It looks like VERY hard work.
Mine fledged I think on the 22nd May this year
Last year it was 31 May

barry island

The parents have been really heroic back and forwards all day with caterpillars, spiders, greenfly, and even what looked like nut from the neighbours feeder, sometimes flying off returning four or five minutes later other times flying to a nearby roof the hunt for spiders under the guttering. A couple of days ago I notice a couple of magpies on a neighbours roof and thought the blue tit parent would avoid them but it came out of the box flying low and darting up as they do and flew right between the magpies as if it couldn't care less. I had noticed on quite a few occasions over the last few days that the parent was having trouble entering the nest as if the chicks were blocking its entrance so I thought that they were about ready to fledge. I'll keep an eye out for them hoping to see them alright.

Fairygirl

I just put the box up earlier this year and wasn't expecting anything to happen. A real bonus. 
I think the warm, dry spring here has made it easier for them too, although it's been wetter and windier all this month.
Hasn't stopped them working their little beaks off, fortunately. They work tirelessly don't they?  I managed to get a little video of them yesterday. 
https://youtu.be/CudpcvJQhNU

Redwing

Fledging for Blue Tits usually occurs in the early morning so that's the best time to look and watch.

KT53

We're in the same situation.  Blue Tits flying constantly back and forward to the nest box and then we went away for a few days.  Came back to absolutely nothing.  I'm assuming they fledged while we were away.  I may have a look in the box in a few days just to be sure I'm not disturbing them.

Fairygirl

Mine are still feeding, but hopefully in a few days they'll be ready to go. 

Dave Humby

Our Great Tits and Robins fledged on the same day, or at least within one day of each other. That was about 10 days ago. Got lots of fledgling Starlings about at the moment.