Blackbird babies... fledged too early?

Barbes

Hi everyone,

First time on this board. I've been upset since I got home today. I went out into the back garden to find a dead blackbird fledgling. I'm worried that it was my fault!

I tried to take some pictures of the fledglings in the nest the other day. The parents became distressed, so I stopped. But straight afterwards I saw that one of the fledglings (there were three, I think) had left the nest. I hadn't seen them out of the nest before, so I was worried that it was because of me. I kept an eye on it though, and it seemed fine. It was hopping around, and getting up into the hedges. The father fed it on the ground. So I wasn't too worried.

But then I got home today, and found the dead baby. I checked the nest, and it's empty. The parents were in the garden as usual, and were hunting for worms. Could the other fledglings be out of the nest and ok?

I managed to get a (not great) pic of the baby - does it look old enough to be out of the nest?



Is it possible that the parents will raise another brood? I'm worried that I scared them away from that nest permanently because I got too close (I won't be doing that again )

I hope some of you can reassure me...

Thanks,
Barbes

Mothman

Barbes,
It's a very vunerable time, and the fact is that the vast bulk of birds born don't make it past the first year. Your picture ahows a typical fledgling just after leaving nest.
I've often seen fledglings like this, as you describe, hopping about not able to fly.
The parents will probably attempt 2 more broods this year.

So while going to close to nest can flush fledglings out early, this doesn't look the case here. So rest easy and call it experience.

No time for further detail.

Amalgam

That looks typical Barbes, in the parents garden, the fledlings would stay close to the ground, in thick undergrowth/hedge.

It could have been a Cat, awful for killing baby birds, gutted when ours came back with a wren in its mouth..