Bluetit Diary    May 2004 (6)

 

 

Thursday 6th May, 2004 (3)

It is now just before 9 o'clock and there seem to be only three unhatched eggs left - and presumably four chicks!  It is difficult to distinguish one pink blob from another when they are so young.

It's now twenty to one and here's mum with another piece of eggshell - presumably another chick must be hatching.

As is usual for her, she doesn't eat it but flies off with it.

Barney has been doing his job magnificently.  Here he passes a small green caterpillar to Fluffy to feed to the chicks.

Sometimes when he comes into the nest, Fluffy is not there.  Then he tries to persuade a chick to take the grub from him, making the same sort of clucking noise as Fluffy does if the chicks ignore him.

On one occasion I saw him feed a chick who promptly presented him with a faecal sac - the first this year!  Barney did his duty and removed the sac from the nest and disposed of it.  Unfortunately, this was not picked up by i-Catcher as I had masked off movements in the nest cup!

This is Barney again.  The poor boy has lost most of the feathers on his head.  Many male bluetits seem to do this and I can only think it is as a result of the hormonal changes occurring during the breeding period.

Perhaps the chicks are already causing him to tear his hair out!!