Dead baby birds

[sherrardk]

Found two dead baby birds in the garden earlier directly under where I think there is a nest. They were tiny so hardly walked out of the nest and fell. Can anyone shed any light on what might have happened? (I think they would have grown into some sort of little birds judging by the bird I saw collecting bits for a nest, but there has been an evil blackbird lurking around - sorry, don't like their beaks or nasty eyes.) thanks.

[sandyRoe]

There might be a Cuckoo chick in the nest. It throws the others out so there's more food for itself.
Nature red in tooth and beak.

[sherrardk]

It upset me when I found them. I had spent ages watching the little parent bird collecting stuff for the nest, he/she really struggled at times. Had to wait for himself to come home and move them though (not got a very strong stomach).

[Tilly2]

Unfortunately, there are always some that don't make it. It's horrible when you find them. I wouldn't have thought the blackbird was at fault though. Have you no idea what kind of bird it was building the nest? Can you describe it?

[sherrardk]

Just used the RSPB bird identification thing and it might have been a house sparrow.

[gness]

Sometimes if the bird dies in the nest the parent will remove and drop it. One landed in my 80s perm once. Two is unusual though.

[DTCwordfan]

"A bird in the hairdo is worth three in the bush"

[gness]

Not the words I was using running around the garden with a dead bird in the curls DT. Last perm I ever had.

[bookbinder]

Magpies will attack nests and eat the chicks. A magpie might have pulled the chicks out of the nest, then been chased off by the parent birds.

[sherrardk]

It looked like they had both fallen there today (there is a lilac tree thing overhanging the garden and none of the dead bits off the tree were on the baby birds).

[sherrardk]

Don't get magpies in the garden (just the evil blackbird and some ordinary, nice birds), don't get any cats either.

[Prudie]

Agree that magpies could well be the culprits but definitely not blackbirds.

[sherrardk]

I don't know why I have taken against this particular blackbird so much, it really gives me the creeps.

[Prudie]

Oh is it one particular blackbird you don't like rather than all of them?

[sherrardk]

I didn't realise I didn't like them till I kept noticing this particular one, he is really bossy and nosey! (I need to find something to do with my time, I am obviously losing the plot!)

[DTCwordfan]

Adapted from Annie Lennox

Gness looked up to the little bird
That glides across the sky
He sung the clearest melody
It made her want to cry
It made her want to sit right down
And cry cry cry

She walks along the city streets
So dark with rage and fear
And she...
She wished that she could be that bird
And fly away from here
She wished she had the wings to fly away from here

But my my she feels so low
My my where does she go?
My my what does she know?
My my we reap what we sow
They always said that you knew best
But this little bird’s fallen out of that nest now
She's got a feeling that it might have been blessed
After all it's in the hairdo of gness.

For gness is now a troubled soul
Who’s weighted...
Weighted to the ground
Give her the strength to carry on
Till she can lay this birdie down
Give her the strength to lay this birdie down
Down down yea
Give her the strength to lay it down

But my my she feels so low
My my where does she go?
My my what does she know?
My my we reap what we sow
They always said that you, gness, knew best
But this little bird’s fallen out of that nest
She's got a feeling that it might have been blessed
There snuggled in the perm of gness

[gness]

I love birds with a passion Sherr but I have taken a dislike to a few blackbirds. They must have been related because they all had a white streak of feathers on the wing. Damaged in some way and nasty behaviour.

[Prudie]

it's more likely he's taken a shine to you and wants to be friends. I have a pair in my garden and they don't half make a racket, especially late in the evenongs when the cat's out.

[gness]

Oh dear DT. Of all the things I expected to see tonight it certainly wasn`t that! Wonderful,absolutely wonderful.xx

[DTCwordfan]

I knew the lyrics were there.....just a little adaptation or is that poetic licence; sorry Annie......

[gness]

Annie`s not precious...she would love.