Blackbird nest 2 -second brood May 11th 2011 - day 1

One week after the four chicks from the first brood left the nest the female has laid the first egg of her second brood. I am not sure if it should be so soon as the young are usually still very demanding and unable to fend for themselves for about 2 weeks after leaving the nest. One of the first brood broke a leg leaving the nest and is at a wildlife hospital, one was killed by a Sparrowhawk, and my guess is the remaining two have perished either by cat or hawk, otherwise she would be too busy feeding them to have time to sit on eggs.

It is very sad to think that out of two broods of 4 eggs not one has survived. This is the scene all over the country I imagine, and each Blackbird that makes it to adulthood seems to have had some serious odds stacked against its survival. In our garden there are about six or seven pairs of Blackbirds desperately gathering food to feed young, that puts the count at around 25 or 30 fledglings in the vicinity, yet I am lucky to hear even one chirping from the hedgerow in the hope that food arrives. Doesn't sound too promising and most likely only a few will make it through the summer to breed next year.

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