Bluetit Diary    Apr 2010 (2)

 

 

Friday 9th April, 2010

We had been getting rather worried about Sam.  While in the early weeks we regularly saw him around and in the nest box, for the past couple of weeks he seems to have disappeared.  However, today we saw him again - and this time he actually fed Della!

The sequence starts with Della flying to the nest box at high speed with some nesting material in her beak.

There is no hesitation - it's straight in through the hole at high speed.

Once inside she has a brief look around, then drops the nesting material and does a couple of wriggles.

Who's this on the nest box hole then?

Della adopts a feed-me pose - wings slightly spread and body low to the floor of the box.  She also cheeps at Sam.  In fact, it was hearing this that drew my attention to the fact that something was going on in this nest box!

Seven seconds later, Sam is still on the entrance hole and Della is still going through  her come-on routine.

Finally after another 8 seconds, Sam weakens and goes inside the box.

Surprise, surprise - he actually appears to have something for her!

And this time, it's not some hay!

She takes it ...

... swallows it - and asks for more!

Sam must be a little disappointed - after all, he has already given her all he has.

However, he moves close to her again.  Did he have something else after all?

Suddenly, he turns and flies off ...

... leaving at high speed!

Della doesn't wait long.  Four seconds later she also leaves.

This has been the first time this season that we have seen Sam feed Della.

Looking at these pictures again as I post them, I wonder whether the male bluetit is the old Sam.  He looks a bit sleeker somehow.  I shall have to try to find some pictures so that I can compare the old and the new Sam!