Eight chicks died after a blundering council worker posted a roadworks notice in a letterbox despite clear warnings that the baby birds were nesting inside.
Lindsey Gorham, 61, had taken precautions to secure their makeshift home in Staple, Kent, including taping the flap of the letterbox, writing about birds nesting on it and alerting the postman.
Unfortunately, these steps were not enough to stop a municipal worker, unaware of the consequences, from dropping a leaflet about day drain works more than 10 miles away. This act prevented the mother bird from feeding her offspring, while the message blocked their makeshift home.
The Gorhams are heartbroken after the gruesome discovery. Kent County Council has apologized to them for what it called “a genuine mistake”.
Ms Gorham urged people to be more aware of wild birds, especially during this season. Recalling the incident, she said they first noticed the nest with “eight beautiful little eggs” in their yard six weeks ago when they were checking for posts.
They decided to close off the mailbox, except for a small space where the mother could care for her little ones, which led to their final outcome.
When they carefully opened the door to check their progress, everything seemed to be going well.
The couple expected that it would not be long before the young birds left the nest.
Their neighbor had agreed to look after the chicks while the couple were away from their property in Aylesham.
About three weeks ago, however, the family of nine birds had dwindled to just one.
Mrs Gorham revealed: “Our neighbor said he hadn't seen the mother recently so we thought they had already left.”
“When I opened the mailbox, the note was on the opposite side of the nest and covered in dirt [the mother bird] had tried to lift it off the babies to feed them.”
“But it was too much for her, so she left and the chicks died.”
The letter delivered by KCC related to drainage works in Sutton Road, Ripple, a location 15 minutes' drive away.
This led the couple to question why they had received the notice in the first place, as the area is “not even close” to their Chapel Lane property.
Mrs Gorham added: “I was really upset because it was such a beautiful bird and the nest must have taken weeks to build because it was perfect.”
“We told the postman about the nest, so he posted them somewhere else and we wrote 'bird's nests' on them so we thought the chicks would be safe.”
'I couldn't believe someone couldn't read it. They didn't care, or they couldn't read it.'
Somehow the city official managed to force the message into the letter flap without breaking the tape.
Ms Gorham expressed her concerns, saying: “I know nothing will come of it and we don't want anyone to be dragged over the coals, but people need to be aware that birds end up in different places – especially when it's breeding season. “
In response to her complaint to KCC, a spokesperson responded: “We have written to the resident to offer our sincere apologies for this incident.”
They added: “We would like to reassure them that this was a genuine mistake and that our staff had no intention of causing harm.”
The RSPB notes that great tits are common throughout Britain and live in woodlands, farmland and urban areas.
They are recognizable among the tit species by their larger size and have green and yellow plumage, a striking black head and striking white cheeks.