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Blue tit fledgling overnight- urgent advice appreciated

This afternoon I noticed a young blue tit was behind the wheel of the car, not long before leaving the house, just as well I spotted it!

Long story short, neighbour and I brought it round to the back garden and left it in the flower bed to help hide it, before setting off we saw that the parents returned and were going back and forward with food although the chick had come close to the house.

Been out all day and come back tonight to find the chick still close to the house but there's been no sign of mum and dad for 2/3 hours now. Seemed to be chirping a fair bit quieter than it was and not sure if the cold was getting the better of it. Put out a cardboard box with some shredded paper to give it some shelter and it's made its way in there.



Not sure how a fledgling typically sleeps (you can see its feet sticking out towards the bottom) but not sure if it's likely to make it through the night? It's around 10 degrees just now.

Could it be worth bringing it in to the conservatory for warmth and get up very early to see how it's doing then take back outside or best just to leave it?

Posts

  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    Worth trying to insulate the box as best as possible then?
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to know the outcome.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Yes, @Dirty Harry - what happened?
  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    edited June 2018
    Sadly pansyface was right. I suspect it may have died not long after the photo I took as it was in the exact same position this morning.

    At least I gave it a bit of comfy shelter to go on.

    Seemed such an energetic character too, I can only imagine the parents stopped feeding it for some reason.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Nature can be cruel.  The same happened me a number of weeks ago, there was a young injured crow in the garden.  We tried to catch him..........his parents were swooping down whenever we went near it.  They were calling to him all day, and keeping very close, perching on the wall and low shrubs.  The young bird was gone the following day, cats probably got him.
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