Bluetit Diary    May 2004 (8)

 

 

Saturday 8th May, 2004

It is just ten past six in the morning and Neptune is already searching for Fantail again.

Later, he enters the box and spends some time looking out of the hole.

As bluetits only raise one brood each year - timed to coincide with the availability of green caterpillars on oak trees - we think that Neptune has missed his chance this year.

It the meantime, Barney has already started collecting food for Fluffy and the chicks.  The day seems to start around dawn.  Fluffy first left the box at 5.36am

It must be quite difficult getting a good night's sleep when sitting on a nest full of wriggling chicks.  Certainly, impossible to get a lie in!

We think that Barney wants to feed the chicks himself.  Here he seems to be crowding Fluffy in the hope that she will get off the nest so that he can do that.

Fluffy isn't having any and sits tight.  Eventually Barney gives in and passes the food to her.

She then gets off the nest in order to feed the chicks.