Blue Tits

[Etch]

Has anyone else noticed an absence of blue tits? Or any other type of tit? About 3 weeks ago (mid May) I saw 2 adult blue tits leave my nesting box, so I had a quick look inside and 7 eggs had been laid. Since then - nothing - I haven't seen a tit of any type in the garden at all. We normally get blue, great and long-tailed tits visiting and feeding, but they are all sadly missing at the moment. I have been afraid to look in the nesting box again for fear of disturbing a female sitting on the eggs, but if I don't see any comings or goings in the next week I'll risk it to see what, if anything, has happened. Of course one, or both, parents may have suffered some misfortune, but that wouldn't explain the complete lack of any members of the tit family.

[Stargazer]

I agree, the blue tits are nowhere to be seen. Neither great, coal or long tailed tits are at the feeders. Only a vicious looking rook and a blackbird. The blue tits will have fledged by now

[Captain2]

We've not seen the family of long tailed for some time (but they only ever came in about 3.30pm for 5 minutes)but we have loads of blue, coal and great every day. The greats took over a blue nesting box this year and we've seen at least 4 fledglings in the last 7-10days.
(Wish we could lose the pigeons, magpies and flamin' squirrels).

[Barmaid]

We have had a pair of blue tits nest outside our back door. However, we never saw the babies fledge, so we do not know if they were successful or not. There are quite a few blue tits about and great tits - but now you mention it there does seem to be fewer. We rarely see the LTTs at this time of year, but saw lots of them regularly until a few weeks ago.

[derekpara]

Very, very few this year in my area (Dartford). Plenty of sparrows, Magpies and Parakeets.

[Hopkirk]

Plenty round our way.

[rowanwitch]

Only one pair of bluetits coming to my feeders, no great tits, plenty around but I think the bluetit male is seeing them off to protect his supply of waxworms. He is a bolshie little git!

[rayzorless]

blue tits in my box flew about a fortnight ago but the great tits in my mates box about 10 miles away have just hatched so there could be time yet