Anyone got signs of younglings yet?

Kess73

As the thread title says, has anyone got any younglings (Star Wars reference) yet or signs that they are very close to arriving in your garden.


I am counting down the days to seeing this spring's new robins. My two robins have, over the last three days, been out as a pair and are carrying back whatever they can catch, along with beaks full with micro mealworms, back to the nestbox.

They were doing their courting all through January and early February with the male, Spot (named because he has a small white spot of feathers on his forehead, and another white spot midback) feeding Mrs Spot.


My own guesstimate has the chicks fledging somewhere around the 7th to 10th of April.:)

I have two other nests in the back garden, that I know of anyway, with those belonging to great tits and blackbirds (the latter still under construction), and I have house sparrows very busy in the front garden bringing bits of twigs etc into one of the sections of hedge along with the bits of nesting material that I leave out for them to raid.


Ninja the wren had built a number of little dome nests in the back garden but I have seen very little action near them so I am guessing that his fussy female chose a different one.:(

I love this time of year as from around April to late summer my back garden becomes a giant creche for birds. I get my regulars who nest in the garden and large numbers of fledglings who get brought by adults who are regulars on my feeders.

So how are things in the gardens of other Boardsies? Anything spotted yet or signs that you will have new batches from your own gardens as well as whatever amount of fledglings that get brought by adults from elsewhere to feed in the garden.

trebor28

i have posted a photo of a wood pigeon on its nest in the nest box thread.
it has been on the nest for about a week now.

dunno what the gestation period for them is but should be able to get pics of the young on the nest.

Kess73

trebor28 wrote: »

i have posted a photo of a wood pigeon on its nest in the nest box thread.
it has been on the nest for about a week now.

dunno what the gestation period for them is but should be able to get pics of the young on the nest.

If she has been sitting for a week already, then you should see the young in another 10 to 14 days. Generally incubation takes about 17 to 21 days with a woodie.

They take roughly 4 to 5 weeks to fledge after that.

emo72

i have tadpoles? my first ever ones that "hatched" out of their spawn. anyone think the leaves are late out this year?

Kess73

emo72 wrote: »

i have tadpoles? my first ever ones that "hatched" out of their spawn. anyone think the leaves are late out this year?

Was the same last year. I would put that down to each of the last two winters being colder than usual.

mgwhelan

four eggs were laid between 25th to 29th of february, chicks hatched around the 17th of march, we ringed them yesterday at seven day old, heres a picture of one of them.





parent keeping a eye on us

whyulittle

When do Robins fledge? Or how long do they keep their juvenile plumage?

Almost certain I had one in the garden this evening, unless it's impossible at this time of the year?

Mothman

whyulittle wrote: »

When do Robins fledge? Or how long do they keep their juvenile plumage?

Almost certain I had one in the garden this evening, unless it's impossible at this time of the year?

Very possible.
Many species attempt to or 3 broods a year. Often the first attempt fails to get any fledged due to unfavourable weather, but the weather for the past 4 weeks has been fine, so any that have nested during this period will have had a better chance this year than most years

Kess73

whyulittle wrote: »

When do Robins fledge? Or how long do they keep their juvenile plumage?

Almost certain I had one in the garden this evening, unless it's impossible at this time of the year?

Robins fledge about 2 weeks after hatching, give or take a few days. They keep their juvenile plumage for about 8 to 14 weeks, it then starts to moult in stages.

I have been lucky each year for a number of years now to be able to see the almost daily changes in the juvies in my garden as they go through this change.

stupidusername

Not in my garden, so hope it counts but i was in stephens green yesterday and there was a male blackbird tweeting away constantly from a bush, and i noticed there was a magpie, looking at him, edging closer. i'm guessing that he was after the eggs of the blackbird. he didn't get them anyway but yeah guessing there's baby blackbirds there soon enough.

Kess73

We have youngling activity.

Two young robins being fed in the garden, Blackie Yellowbeak has three loud eating machines, and Olly the Great tit along with Mrs Olly have a little batch.


Did not get a shot of the young robins and blackbirds yet, as each time they arrived I was too busy watching them to even think of the camera, but had my phone nearby to get a GT youngling.

E39MSport

Starlings as usual around my place. Last year their young had fledged before the Swallows even arrived.

There's also one Blackbird pair that appear to be gathering food for chicks.

Mothman

I have babies

Currently watching them hatch using a microscope :eek:

Do I leave you in suspense? :pac:



























December Moth caterpillars are hatching

Rainbowsend

Blue tits sitting at the moment, will keep an eye on them and sparrows are feeding their brood which are getting quite vocal so shouldnt be long before they fledge, wood pigeon also sitting, robins seem to have disappeared for the moment so maybe they are sitting also?

I love this time of year, such an air of expentancy about the place

Mothman

6 have hatched, more on the way....:D

stupidusername

the blessington st basin (round the corner from me) has ducklings saw them yesterday. they're adorable.