Great tits

[E.R.]

Great tits have used my nest box for years. I have a camera in the box. This year 8 healthy young tits fledged. For the first time she laid a further 5 eggs which hatched a week ago.
Yesterday morning all was well.The chicks were getting stronger each day and would have been 2 more weeks until they would leave the nest.
This morning the nest was empty. No sign of any disturbance. The box is in a very safe position on a wall under the garage roof. I'm totally baffled as to what has happened. Can anyone shed light on this please?

[Count-A-Strong]

Mother nature has the best pair of scales.

[ladybirder]

I would guess they have been predated, possibly by a magpie or some such. Sorry E.R. it's sad when that happens when you've been watching over them.

[E.R.]

Thank you Count A Strong and Ladybirder. Today I removed the nest from the box and found the 5 wee scaldies dead in the bottom.They hadn't been very obvious on the T.V. A cat or a hawk must have got the wee mammy. She was a great little mother,her nest was perfection much better than previous birds. I think she was quite young.I'm really upset about her.

[ladybirder]

Oh dear, poor things and poor mum. Bless her, at least she produced 8 successes earlier on so not all bad news.