We thought Bella's eggs had finished hatching yesterday, but what do you think greeted us early this morning?
Another chick must have hatched out; here is Bella with a piece of egg shell in her beak.
This chick has hatched out 3 days after the first batch of chicks hatched. It will have to be both tough and lucky to survive with such a disadvantage as that.
At the same time as the above picture, Bertie has just landed on the nest box hole ...
... so when Bella flies out with the piece of egg shell, she has to force her way past him.
So how many chicks has Bella now?
Here i think you can see 10 yellow beaks, some open and some closed.
There are eleven here - most of them open too! Eight are open (one nearly hidden by the parent bird's head) and three closed.
Another shot of eleven chicks - nine open gapes and two closed ...
... but surely this is a total on 12 chicks - all with their beaks closed except one hungry chick!
If all these fledge I will be astonished, given the spread of their ages.