Bluetit Diary    May 2011 (16)

 

 

Saturday 21st May, 2011 (cont)

The pace of the chicks' departure has slowed now.  Chick number 7 left at about 10.45am but the next chick did not fledge until just over 4 hours later.

The last three chicks left in Box2 show no sign of wanting to fledge.

The problem is that they are really too young to leave the nest - but leave it at some stage they must.

I think each of them would prefer to be the chick at the bottom - hoping the world would go away.

At least Joy and Dave are continuing to feed them - but I don't know how long they would go on doing this if the chicks were to spend another night in the box.

This is Dave ...

... and this is Joy.

They even get the occasional treat of a mealworm!

Suddenly, having shown no sign of having any interest in the outside world, one of the three jumps up to the hole and looks out of the box.

Will it disappear like the others?

No, not this time.

Just over a minute later, the chick seems to be psyching itself up again.  It is looking intently at the hole.  Will it have another go?

Suddenly, it flies up to the hole again ...

... pokes its head out ...

... and leaps head first into the future, whatever that may be.

Only two chicks left in the box now!

"Has it really gone?"

"I don't want to be the last!"

Less than a minute after the previous chick fledged, this one is looking as though it might go too.

It sticks its head out ...

... and flies! 

Look at those wings.  you'd think it had been doing this all its life!