In both nests, the females are leaving the chicks alone much more than they used to. This is particularly true of Fluffy, but then her chicks are three or four days older than Fantail's.
Fred passing some food to Fantail to give to the chicks. As ever, they are hungry.
Quite often now, when Fred brings food, Fantail will go out, leaving Fred to it. Sometimes, when Fred comes to the entrance of the box and sees that Fantail is still there, he will go away for a short time hoping that Fantail will leave.
Fluffy's nest box has suffered the attentions of a predating bird much more than we remember for previous years. Sometimes we think it is a starling, but sometimes we are not sure what it is. As we can only see its beak there is not much to go on.
It has a vicious looking beak with a pale face, unless this is a trick of the light.
This looks much more like a Greater Spotted Woodpecker now!
The nest box is made of wood but we have put an aluminium plate with a hole in it over the nest box hole so even a woodpecker would have difficulty in enlarging it. Let's hope the chicks have the sense to keep away from it if it comes again.