Summary of Events - 2004

The diary started this year on Thursday 3rd January.

  Box1 Box2
19 Jan A bird seen regularly visiting box  
20 Jan   Dead tree on which box affixed removed
24 Jan   Box remounted on neighbouring tree.  First visitor 6 minutes later!
29 Jan   We decide the female is Fluffy
1 Feb   Fluffy does a nesting wriggle
8 Feb   External camera mounted
9 Feb   Great Tit seen investigating
15 Feb   Great Tit back again
21 Feb We decide that this female is Fantail again!  
1 Mar Fantail starts bringing in moss and hay
Male named Neptune
 
2 Mar   One winged nesting wriggle
12 Mar First observed nesting wriggle  
17 Mar A stranger visits inside box  
20 Mar   Fluffy starts bringing in nesting material
1 Apr   Fluffy gets serious about nest building
3 Apr   Feathers brought into nest box
5 Apr   Nest more or less completed
7 Apr   Fluffy starts roosting overnight
16 Apr   FIRST EGG!
17 Apr   Egg 2
18 Apr Fantail roosts in her box for the first time Egg 3
19 Apr Fantail brings in first feathers late afternoon Egg 4
20 Apr   Egg 5
21 Apr Lots more feathers.  Nest now looks completed. Egg 6.  Fluffy starts spending some time on the eggs during the day.
22 Apr Stranger bluetit investigates nest box Egg 7
23 Apr Fantail disappears around 3pm Fluffy starts incubating
24 Apr Neptune persistently calls for Fantail who reappears about 7.30pm and roosts in box  
25 Apr No sign of Fantail who does not roost in box  
26 Apr Neptune removes all feathers in box!  At least one strange bird again views nest box. Fluffy still sitting on her eggs
28 Apr Still no sign of Fantail.  Neptune still around  
6 May Neptune still calling for Fantail! Fluffy's first six eggs hatch
7 May   Last chick hatched at 07.00hrs
11 May   First faint cheeping heard
12 May   Definite cheeping when parent comes with food
13 May   Down and primitive feathers growing - the chicks now look almost black
15 May   Eyes just starting to open.  Wings now show white markings.  Head band forming.
16 May   Great tit pays another visit
19 May   Several chicks out of nest cup - the heat?
Serious wing flapping starting.
22 May   Chicks by themselves over night for the first time
23 May   Frequent wing flapping.  Chick attempts to hop onto exit hole - falls off!
24 May   One chick may have fledged today
25 May   Three chicks flew between 7.30 & 8.40am
The last three flew within the space of 20 seconds just after half past one.

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