There are still only nine eggs in Fay's nest this morning. Has she stopped laying? We suspect so.
Fay started sitting on the eggs for significant periods on 2nd May and by 4th May she was definitely into full incubation.
Another visit from the squirrel.
The first feed brought to the nest box by Bertie since the cameras were switched on this morning.
Both parents feeding the chicks - and no sign of any unhatched eggs.
Over at Box1, here is Bill coming to Box1 with some food for Fay
Inside the box ...
... he passes the mealworm to Fay.
Fay has the odd habit of bringing pieces of green vegetation into the box. She usually leaves these on the eggs or beside the nest cup.
Is she confusing these with green caterpillars? Is so, I don't give much chance for her chicks!
Another visit from Bill who has some food for Fay in his beak.
We have still seen no sign of any unhatched eggs today. However, there could still be some at the bottom of the nest and as they would be kept warm by the chicks, they could still hatch!
Bella and Bertie seem to be competing for the honour of feeding the chicks first.
Is this nine yellow beaks that I see?
Another dual (duel?) feed for the chicks. (No. No fighting for their attention this time!)
I think this is nine beaks again.
This is clearly nine beaks!
Bertie normally passes the food he has found to Bella without demur.
This time, he seems somewhat reluctant to pass it over.
He keeps moving around her ...
... a bit at a time ...
... and a bit more ...
... and more ...
... until eventually ...
... Bella gives in ...
... and leaves so that Bertie can feed the chicks himself.
What's this? It's a piece of eggshell!
Has another egg hatched? I think it must have.
This chick will have to be tough to survive, as it is over two days ago that the first chicks started hatching out.
I cannot believe a piece of eggshell this size could survive in the nest cup for long and remain undamaged.
Bella takes the shell out of the nest box ...
... and flies away to drop it some way away from her nest. She doesn't want to leave any clue that there are young chicks around here!