Baby Coal Tit - Advice?

[Peaspeculiars]

Good Morning All,

My cats caught a coal tit last night and the only option was to bring it in to stop the cats getting at it (I know the advice is to leave it to see if an adult comes back etc, but there are tons of neighbourhood cats around even if I'd kept mine in).

Anyway, it made it through the night in a quiet warm, make-shift box-nest and looks to be uninjured. It has nearly all of it's adult feathers so I have tried feeding it this morning with a mix recommended by some bird charities I google lastnight. It seems unstressed and I am using a non-sharp set of tweezers to gently touch the side of it's mouth with a tiny bit of the food, but it doesn't seem interested at all
- Has anyone ever done this before that could offer advice?

Unfortunately there are no wildlife rescues around here at all otherwise that would be my next move :-(

Thanks in advance,
Peas

[waterboatman]

You are doing all you can peas. The wee one is still a bit traumatised, keep it calm and carry on with what you are doing. Well done you! :o}

[Dee Sa]

is there a bird sanctuary near you peas ? I had a baby wood pigeon once looked like it had fallen out of the nest, kept it in the shed for 2 days and it wouldnt eat or drink so found a bird sanctuary on the net that would take it, had to drive 30 miles to get there CS thought I was mad but dutifully came along and we donated £20 for his/her keep , but it gave me piece of mind.

[Peaspeculiars]

Thanks Boaty, Thanks Dee - I think I'm going to have to make some calls and see if I can find a rescue place a bit closer than the interweb says, I'll let you know how it goes - Have a fab weekend xx

[Hypognosis]

From watching nestbox footage, the stimulus to gape seems to be either the noise of the adult landing at the entrance, or the contact calls of the parent. When one chick responds, it sets the others off.

I have an iPhone app, called "Chirp!" which I use strictly to learn/remind myself of the songs - as a field observation aid, not a 'lure', I hasten to add. It was under £3, at the time (can't see current prices for things you've already bought).

However, I think trying to stimulate a chick to feed would be a legitimate use.

The local pet shop might sell live caterpillars.

Good luck!

[Peaspeculiars]

Thanks Hypognosis!

[chanel5]

What an interesting post. I hope this wee one survives. Please let us know what the outcome is.

[melv16]

I hope the fledgling survives, but in the meantime have you thought about keeping the cat indoors in the nesting season? There's nearly 10 million cats in this country and each year they decimate our wildlife!

[Khandro]

I don't know where you are, but no matter, you could try phoning the Oak and Furrows wildlife Centre near Cirencester;
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=oak+and+furrows
and they will give you advice.