Fantail's off for a quick break.
Five minutes later she rushes back.
Fantail does not leave the nest very frequently, and when she does, it's only for about 5 or 6 minutes.
Yes, they're still there.
For the rest of the morning while we were monitoring Fantail, nothing startling happened. Incubation must be one of the most boring job in the world!
Just to show Fluffy is also being fed occasionally, here is a sequence from Box2.
The box is darkened by Flash's entering. Then he quickly feeds her . . .
. . . and departs at speed.
Flash's time in the box is between 1 and 2 seconds. Rather different from Fred. Flash is rightly named - the fastest feeder in the business!
We wonder why there is such a difference. Is it in the nature of Flash and Fred or are Fluffy and Fantail giving off different signals? These episodes are typical of their behaviour. They are duplicated many times each day.
Fluffy went out of her box for the last time at about 8 o'clock.
On her return following her last trip out, she checks that none of the chicks have started hatching - some hope yet awhile!