RSPB urges people to leave baby birds alone

Although the natural reaction might be to help desperate looking chicks (like the blue tit above), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is urging everyone to leave baby birds alone

They say interfering could do more harm than good and the kindest thing to do, is nothing at all.

Justin Hoffman, who captured the different stages of this blue tit leaving the nest, said it was important to understand what is best for the birds “We’ve been very lucky to have a pair of blue tits nesting in our garden for many years," he said.

"While drinking my morning coffee, I could hear some earnest cheeping outside, so I peered out the back window towards our garden nest box.

"I could see a little head peeking out the nest box hole. The chicks were fledging.

“I grabbed my camera and my longest lens, so I wouldn’t get too close and disturb the birds.

I watched the chicks fledge the nest one by one. One of the chicks got caught up in a garden plant below the nest box.

"The baby eventually freed itself with the encouragement of the parents. The chick clumsily made its way to a sturdy perch and began calling out loudly as one of the parents returned with a juicy meal."

The advice the RSPB are giving is to rest assured that the parents are probably close by and know best.

Tim Webb of the RSPB in the south east said for many it would be hard to resist the urge to help.

"The understandable urge to help is almost palpable, but it’s not cruel to leave baby birds alone," he said.

"They need to figure out and learn how to survive by themselves, because within days they’ll be out of the family nest without their parents support.

"Sometimes people report baby chicks on pavements or in roads.

"In these circumstances, there are grounds to gently move the chick to the nearest hedge, shrub or natural cover.

"But don’t move it far as the nest, and parents, will be nearby. If it looks in imminent danger you can contact the RSPCA."