worried and devestated!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO the magpies sitting on the fence, its got it, i could cry..

aw YDD what a shame . I know it is nature BUT I hate magpies. Like you I have nesting bluetits and I am trying to watch for predators as well. Your photos are lovely too

Oh Helen im so upset, i did go back out and the other chick is on the edge, ready to fledge, I can't stand it, my nerve's are in tatters and still no sign of the parents puh...

I am so sorry to hear about the fledglings. I also HATE magpies.

I wish there was something that could be done.

I'm so sorry for your despair - I feel that often when my cats get fledglings and just kill them for the fun of them, they don't eat them, just kill them! Why do I love both cats and birds? They just don't get on together! A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling down so I went into the garden to cheer myself up to find three dead fledglings on the lawn. I burst into tears, my husband had to deal with them. Nature is so cruel. I try to keep the cats away, they both have bells and I keep the garden open enough so that the birds can escape quickly, but of course, the determination of a cat is astonishing. I understand how you feel; but to the parents it is just another day, and they won't despair for long, but you will!!!

Oh, if you have a live chick, why don't you phone the RSPB? They often do housecalls. We've done it before.

I have just came in from work but i haven't been out yet, Even if they survive the Magpies, they can't survive without the parents, Its a no hoper really :( Sorry you had 3 dead chicks on your Lawn Aneagillis, cats do there thing, you have tried to guard the chicks, nothing else you could of done :) I know its nature and it go's on all the time but, its Awfull to witness....I feel really sad..

Poor you - it's such a pity we can't protect all these tiny babies isn't it ? I've lost several birds to predators in my garden and like you it makes me feel so sad.

Oh daisy - how awful. Took me back to a garden in Italy where we used to watch parent blue-tits in and out of a nest, until one day a snake slithered up the tree-trunk and into the hole! So upsetting, but nothing we could do . . . like you say, it's nature, but none of us want to see the killing with our own eyes. :((

OMG Sheila, a snake, I think i would of battered it :) only kidding, I would of wanted to tho. Mariek, ive been outside and the second chick is gone, I can hear it calling, but not in my garden, its over the back fence i think. Please put me out of my misery grrrr...

oh Dee isnt it awfull, im like you and i feel like interveaning at times like this but we cant, but i think you can just move a feldgling out of sight under a shrub or something with gloves as not to leave a scent, sounds like mum and dad were out and about getting food,
just keep an eye on things Dee and if parents done come back them move it under something away from magpies eyes if you can get to it, i hate nature when this type of thing happens, i worry myself sick to :o(

But how can it feed San, and the racket its making, the magpies will hear it, phew im exhausted, im going out again soon! building up my courage lol..thanks for the advice San...

So sorry for the baby bluetit, i know just how you feel, as last year a magpie took two of my goldfish, that i'd had for 8yrs, what made it worse i saw it take them, plus the two fish had names.:((

They take fish as well Clarice!!! I like those birds even less, what a shame :(..

So do i, if i'd not seen it with my own eyes i would not have believed they would have done it, although have to abmit the 2 fish they took was quite friendly, and always at the top of the pond with there noses and eyes out the water, and they would come right up to me when i was feeding them, so now the rest of the fish i try and frighten them abit when i see them to close to the top of the water, as the magpie nest in a tree right near my house :((

It's 9.45 p.m. now, Ydd, what news on the fledgling please?

I've decided I don't like magpies - they shout at my cats all the time, they chase the pigeons and cause havoc with the local crow population, but I didn't know they take chicks and FISH! - horrible things.

It makes me really sad when I go outside in the garden this time of the year in order to admire my flowers and instead I can witness the desperation of the blackbirds trying in vain to protect their nests from the attacking magpies. Blackbirds stand no chance in my garden because they built their nest in a non very protected areas and their nests are even visible to me. Wood pigeons nest high on the trees and may be strong enough to fight off the magpies. Friendly robins stand a better chance because they built their nest very close to the house and in deep foliage. Many other birds visit my garden and gladly they do not nest here. I say gladly because I do not want to witness the carnage that follows.
With regard to sparrows they do not live here any longer. They used to nest under the roof tiles, but have not seen one in my garden for many years. Where have they gone? I heard about an epidemic sparrow disease.

Nature in the raw is very disturbing, YDD. I do hope that is the last time you will witness the fledglings being attacked...very distressing for you.

We had a bell, ID disc and collar on Lucy so the birds would be warned when she was about and yesterday she has come back inside...minus the collar, bell and disc! We will have a look in the garden today to see if it is around but I suspect it will be in the rough ground right behind our garden (council land). We'll be off to get her a replacement pronto!

I dont think the second chic made it, I went outside and heard it chirping, an hour later all was quiet, and again last night, Quiet, at least i didnt witness him being eaten by a Magpie..Hubs filling in the holes at the weekend, sooner the better..
Saw a magpie chasing a blackbird this morning, he got away, yay :)
Thanks for all the info, ive learned a lot from you all, ill be happy in future if there are no nests in my garden :) way to stressfull...

That's such a shame, Ydd, it's survival of the fittest out in our gardens. We've just seen Megan walk past the patio doors with a bird in her mouth . . . I just hope it wasn't a young Blackbird from the nest in neighbour's tree. : o ((

I hate magpies with a vengeance, was so sorry to read this blog, it makes you feel so helpless does it not?

I have a phobia of birds but I don't hate them, and never wish them any harm.
However I really dislike magpies and pigeons and hens. I always send Magpies out of my garden. I am sorry to hear about the baby birds. No, nature is not as wonderful as humans make out.

I remember you saying you dont like birds Hywel, Its the Big birds that are the bullie's of the Sky.
That must be hard Shirley, when your cats bring them home. Shame really..
I was at work last night and I was telling some of the customers about the chicks and had a bit of a history lesson,
Apparently the farmers used to shoot the Magpies because they would attack the young lambs! Pecking there eyes out, They also eat rabbits, and mice etc. Because of the farmers shhoting them it forced them into inner city's where they eventually got protected. Someone said for me to buy a pellet gun! But I couldnt hurt them, no way..Its nature after all..