Mystery of the missing blue tit mate

You can watch the antics of two blue tit families by logging on to the Mooney page on RTÉ’s website.

The birds are at slightly different stages in the breeding process and face rather different challenges.

One nest is at the Mary Aikenhead daycare centre in Donnybrook, where nine chicks have hatched. Such large broods are the norm for blue tits. Most songbirds produce two or three clutches in a season but blue tits, here and in Britain, have only one. The caterpillars on which they feed their babies, are available for a few weeks only.