Grub up!
The Tree Sparrows have built a dome shaped nest which means they are hidden from view most the time when in the box. However, you may have noticed that the adult birds appear to be bringing food to the box this last week and if you get a chance to listen to the live video feed, you might hear chirping. Does this mean we have chicks?
If you are playing outside, take care not disturb the birds in our nest boxes, it’s a busy and exhausting time for them.
Some Tree Sparrow facts:
Clutch size: 5-6
Incubation: 12-13 days
Time to fledge: 15-18 days
Number of broods: 2-3
Can you hear the hungry chicks in this when both adults visit to feed them?
Can you spot three chicks in this video?
I watched the bird box from outside on the last day of the holidays (2nd May) and I spotted both adults taking live food into the box. Does this mean we have chicks?
There are three chicks. The are cute. They are tweeting for their mother. They are getting ready to fly.
Well done for spotting the chicks Class 1, they are not easy to see. Have they got any feathers growing yet?
IS C00t and cullad .THEY Have feathers and wings and redy to fli a way.
I just watched one of the birds being feed.
So far I have only seen 2 birds, maybe the other one didn’t sevive because it was not feed enough.
I thought that too Yanamontana but just before I went home, I spied a third chick. There’s probably not enough room for them all to be at the front together. It’s funny how the chicks dash out to grab food from the hole when the parents visit but then wiggle backwards to go back down into their hideout.
The chicks have been on show a bit more today and I have even managed to take a snapshot of all three chicks. The adults seem to feed the chicks more at the hole now and only occasionally enter the box, mainly to pick up any faecal sacs messing up the nest. I don’t blame them! There’s a mad rush to greet them everytime they approach, with only one thing on the chicks’ minds…food!
Although we don’t know exactly when the chicks hatched, I guess they must be about two weeks old now and due to fledge any day.
Guess what! I’ve now managed to spot at least five chicks! No wonder they are so noisy.
Your tree sparrows are looking very big now. The adult birds must have done a very good job feeding them. I thought that they might have fledged today but they are still there! They keep looking out of the hole and flapping their wings, so I’m sure it won’t be long now before they go. Perhaps you will be able to spot them around the school playground when they have left the box.
I really thought they would go today as well They kept teasing us by sitting in the hole but then dropping back down into the nest. They’ve had a lot of practice flapping their wings in the box today so hopefully they will have no trouble when they have to fly for real.
The 5 Tree Sparrow chicks finally fledged mid-morning today. The adults spent most the early part of the morning trying to tempt the chicks out by sitting in nearby trees and ledges and calling to them. The chicks seemed reluctant, may be because there was a few spots of rain and quite a breeze. Hopefully the fire alarm going off didn’t scare them too much!
The adults have been back to the box to clean out any droppings and to tidy it up a bit. This may be a sign that they are getthing the nest ready for a second brood, so keep watching.