We had hoped for a better day today. In the event, it was just as bad. The system was not left on all night as it had been for the last few nights but it all started the minute we switched on in the morning.
Where are all the chicks? Again, we are lost for words.
The chicks must have died overnight and been removed by Abby. Why is it always the female that has to do the dirty work?
Three quarters of an hour later and Angus brings Abby food for the remaining chick.
Three minutes later he is back with more food.
The remaining chick is clearly still alive. Surely the parents can find enough food for one chick?
It's now just after lunch and the chick is still alive - although I cannot say it is thriving.
Abby has just come into the nest box, but you cannot see any food in her beak.
Over an hour later, she again enters the nest box with no food to give her chick.
It is now nearly half past three. The chick is still alive, but it seems to be on its last legs. Can't Abby and Angus find enough food for one chick?
Another visit by Abby - again with no appearance of food in her beak.
This chick must be tougher than the rest - it is still alive - just!
Another visit from Abby, apparently with no food for her chick.
It can only be a matter of time.
Suddenly, at about half past four, Abby gets off the nest cup where she has been sitting on the chick and flies to the exit hole. The side mounted camera shows that she has the chick, presumably now dead, in her claws.
She tries to remove it but it catches on the edge of the hole and drops to the floor of the nest box.
She stays a few moments on the nest box hole. You can see the last dead chick beneath her tail feathers.
After she had gone, I waited to see if she would be back to remove it properly. After about an hour she had made no attempt to remove it so I took it out of the box myself. I had some vague idea of getting a post mortem done to see why the chick died.
We have spoken to someone at the BTO about this but so far he has not come back to us. The chick is now in a box in the freezer.