Chicks

Robin chicks in a pampas grass nest


As part of the BTO Nest Recording Scheme I have been monitoring a number of nests in West Cambridgeshire.

Indications are that some early nesting species, such as song thrush and blackbird, suffered heavy predation with their first nesting attempts, probably due to the lack of foliage on the trees - all the early nests I found were incredibly exposed, including one song thrush nest that I first spotted from 20 metres away!

Things seem more settled now, and I have a further 4 song thrush nests, a blackbird nest, three chaffinch nests, a robin nest, a mallard nest, and a blackcap nest all currently being monitored, and that's not to mention all the blue/great tits using the boxes that I have scattered throughout the woods here.

Today I also ringed the first pulli of the season - five robin chicks all at the FS stage, in a nest in the side of a pampas grass clump.