Blue tit fledgling advice
ecokid
Posts: 138
So we put up one of the sparrow terraces last year and we had a pair of blue tits move in this year. They produced at least one if not a couple of chicks a few weeks ago. The chicks have decided to descend the box and one has taken up residence in our raspberries, which is right in front of our conservatory. The other I can hear, but is in another garden.
I was wondering how long do fledglings take until they can fly away from danger? I'm worried about the cats in our area and am keeping watch. 
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If they are in danger momma will let you know. Keep an ear out for her because she will be feeding them and keeping a close eye. If there is danger she will make a disturbance away from them to distract the predator.
At the minute they are probably spreding their wings. They jump and flap until it's more flapping and less jumping! There is little you can do but sit and watch.
Blue tit chicks are usually pretty mobile quite quickly. The parents will continue to feed them for a little while but they'll soon be on your rosebushes hoovering up the aphids. There are probably lots of insects among the raspberries for them too.
Keeping a watch from a distance is the best you can do
Snap! Pp
The parents will be enticing them to the nearest oak tree where they will probably disappear to for a few weeks. The primary food of young blue tits is the winter month caterpillar which feed on oak leaves and will be in their millions over the next few weeks. Bluetits become independent surprisingly quickly.
Thanks folks. It's adorable, but we tend to get a visit from the neighbours cats at least once a day, so fingers crossed for the little guy. What happens at night? At the moment it's at the base of our raspberries. There's not any oak tree in close proximity, just raspberries, pyracantha and a forsynthia.
I hate to say it but his mum is smarter than you.
If you went out with some twigs do you think you could build a better nest then she does? You have to just leave them to it. If you're there when the cat comes then by all means run out waving your arms and shouting... Trust her, she knows best.
HI ecokid. I'm smiling at your talk of bluetits moving into your sparrow terrace as four years running I have had anything but sparrows living in mine. Latest residents in one of the three sections are bluetits. Last year it was tree bumble bees and the year before that it was bluetits again and the year before that it was a mouse. Thankfully I have loads of house sparrows around my feeders but who knows where they nest!!!!
Yeah, I put it up for the sparrows as we tend to have a large group visit us daily - but were they interested in it : nope! Thankfully, the blue tits found it quite quickly (which may have put off the sparrows!)
This is the little guy making quite a racket!
Last edited: 21 May 2016 13:58:49
How absolutely gorgeous! all my single nest boxes have got families of one sort or another in them and I love hearing the cheeps from inside. Fledging soon I think.