ID for a newbie please!

[Allis.Watt]

I have never taken an interest in birds before but a pair have recently set
up home in a diy birdhouse in the back garden. Today for the first time I
have noticed the sound of baby birds. The parents are quite small and thin
with a yellow chest. Their backs are black with thin white diagonal stripes
along the wings and their heads are black with white patches. Any ideas? (in
Scotland).

Also, I would like to build more houses ready for next spring again. Any
tips on the best type to build to increase chances of birds nesting in them?

[Sven Silow]

"Allis.Watt" <alli...@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> penmanshipped:

>I have never taken an interest in birds before but a pair have recently set
>up home in a diy birdhouse in the back garden. Today for the first time I
>have noticed the sound of baby birds. The parents are quite small and thin
>with a yellow chest. Their backs are black with thin white diagonal stripes
>along the wings and their heads are black with white patches. Any ideas? (in
>Scotland).

I guess the *back* is green and not black and, if my guess is correct,
it is a great tit. The chest also have a black mid-line (the male have
a broader line than the female.)

Sven

[Jason Smart]

Allis.Watt <alli...@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:acqpff$68l$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...

It sounds like you have a pair of Great Tits there (seriously - I'm not
being indecent!) On a closer look you should find that the back is actually
a dull green and the yellow breast should have a black stripe down the
middle (thicker on the male).
--
Jason
To e-mail me, add j before my surname

[Allis.Watt]

Thank you, found some pictures of the Great Tit on the Internet which looked
just like them.

What is the lifespan of these?
How long do the baby ones stay with their parents?

[Chris Mead]

The message <ad3b5c$a4a$1...@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk>
from "Allis.Watt" <alli...@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> contains these words:

> Thank you, found some pictures of the Great Tit on the Internet which looked
> just like them.

> What is the lifespan of these?

One adult will survive to breed next year and one of the chicks - on average.

> How long do the baby ones stay with their parents?

The young will form upo into big flocks (with few adultsa if any) after
three weeks of flying around.

--
Chris Mead, Hilborough, Norfolk
chris...@zetnet.co.uk or chris...@farm-direct.co.uk
Visit http://www.farm-direct.co.uk/ to find your local farm gate outlets
Visit http://www.birdcare.com/birdon for bird information
And http://www.bto.org/migwatch to log bird migration and see it happen

[Mike Humberston]

"Allis.Watt" <alli...@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>What is the lifespan of these?

3 days after fledging! :-((

>How long do the baby ones stay with their parents?

ditto! :-((((((
--
Mike Humberston
Barnes, London

WARNING: Spam trap in operation. Send any e-mail reply to mike, not oblivion.

[Mike Humberston]

Mike Humberston <obli...@philomel.net> wrote:

>>What is the lifespan of these?
>
>3 days after fledging! :-((

As an explanation ...

An adult Great Tit had been ferrying meal worms from the step of the
french windows between my office and the garden for a couple of weeks
or so, taking them to its nest under the roof of my house (they
ignored all the fancy bird boxes I put up). The youngsters fledged on
Sunday. There were three of them; not a great number for a tit. As
of today only one of those fledglings appears to still be alive. It
is now getting a lot of attention from its parents.