This bodes well! An early start, and already one of the chicks is looking out of the hole.
Surely the chicks must fledge today?
While the chick is still there, Donna arrives with some food. You can see the chick opens its beak in anticipation of the meal!
The other chicks don't stand much of a chance of getting the food this time!
Mum feeding the chick at the hole.
Half an hour later, the chick (or perhaps one of the other chicks) is back looking out of the nest box. Will it fly?
No joy. It went back inside shortly after.
Is this another visit by our mysterious 'other' bluetit?
He goes down to the entrance hole ...
... but flies off rather than goes into the box.
Three minutes later he's back again.
Down to the hole again ...
... but the he just flies off again. Very odd!
Mum doing the housework.
Sometimes it's difficult to know which is Donna and which is a chick! Particularly when the distance from the camera has such a significant effect on the apparent size of the bird!
A chick is on the hole again.
The corresponding view from the outside.
He's still there over a minute later. Is it going to fledge now?
No!
An hour and a half has passed and there's a chick on the hole again!
But again, it couldn't bring itself to take the plunge.
It's now nearly two hours later. Is this Mum or is it the mysterious stranger?
Down onto the entrance hole for a peek inside ...
... and away! It must have been our mystery bird.
In spite of all the apparent promise, we have reached the end of another day with all three chicks firmly ensconced inside.
Donna must be thinking - will they ever leave the nest?
Tomorrow must be the day!