Bluetit Diary    May 2003 (52)

 

 

Wednesday 21st May (part 4)

Nest hygiene is vital to the health of the chicks.  The only time the chicks produce a poo is directly after they have been fed and the feeding parent always hangs around for a few seconds waiting to see whether one is going to be produced.  They are neatly wrapped in a little bag which the parent can remove and either eat if the chick is very young, or carry out of the nest.  This is how it's done!

Bottom up - a poo emerges in its sac.  The parent grabs it and in this case she flew out of the nest with it.

Fluffy's chicks are getting quite demanding.  Still, this is nothing like they'll be in a week's time.

In the right hand picture, you can see clear signs of wing feathers developing.

As evening approaches, the chicks seem to get more demanding.  Perhaps because they know that soon they will have their last feed for about nine hours.  At last we can regularly see all five chicks!

Five gapes.

Me! Me! Me! - they don't know there is nobody there.

Flash with the chicks.

Fluffy with the chicks.

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