When a chick fledges, either the others seem to be inspired to copy it, or get struck with fear at the awful feat. This time a second chick is inspired to emulate the first.
Will this one fledge too?
Oops! It looks as though it tried to change its mind, but left it a bit too late.
There it goes - falling rather than flying from the nest box!
That leaves two chicks - probably the youngest surviving chicks. Obviously the most timid.
Mum still comes back to visit and feed them from time to time.
They certainly aren't keen to go!
Suddenly one of them seems to make its mind up. "If I must!"
He gives a final wing stretch.
Jumps up to the hole ...
... and half a minute later he goes!
At least he's trying to fly. That's better than the second chick.
And he's not doing too badly either!
That just leaves the last (live) chick. At the moment he clearly doesn't want to go and feels abandoned. For his whole life he has been surrounded by a bunch of siblings jostling him and keeping him warm.
Now they have all gone.
He cuddles up to the corner for comfort as there is nobody else to cuddle up to!
His mood does not last long. Only a minute later, he realises that leaving the box is inevitable.
He carefully positions himself in the hole ...
... inching carefully forward ...
... and finally flying magnificently up into the branches around him.
Let's hope they all make it now they have taken the plunge ...
.. apart from Scrap who was just too young to fight for food and probably just starved to death.
Rather than watch his body become the home of the maggots from flies that were already gathering, I removed his body and took a final photograph. He was tiny and weighed next to nothing - just skin and bones.
Now there's just Fay's chicks to watch!