Eight chicks looking fairly relaxed, and all facing the entrance hole, with mum sitting awkwardly on the far side of the nest cup.
What is she doing there? And which mum is it?
She is still in the same place several minutes later, though she has turned round.
Another bird comes in with food, and all is revealed - she, and I think it is Spikey, was sitting on a couple of the unhatched eggs!
It's a bit late for that!
Spikey's back again.
It was three eggs this time.
I hope this is not going to be a problem - she is neglecting her feeding duties!
Spikey is still at it an hour later.
Is anyone feeding the chicks?
Spikey keeps it up increasingly intermittently for the rest of the day, but it doesn't seem to dominate her behaviour.
At about half past one, a chick decides to explore out of the nest cup - the first time I have seen any of this brood doing this.
It gets as far as the side of the box and gets stuck there. I hope it will be able to find it's way back!
Suddenly, Hugh comes in with some food and the wandering chick automatically begs like the rest of them.
At least this display enables us to see how the chicks are developing. Feathering is growing up their wing pins and you can see here that their eyes are now open. Anyway, I presume that a chick wouldn't wander of its own accord if it couldn't see!
After all the excitement caused by Hugh's visit has died down, the wandering chick is still trying to walk through the side of the nest box - and obviously failing . . .
. . . but suddenly it seems to have decided to go back . . .
. . . and rejoin the others in the nest cup. No harm done then!
The reception a parent faces when bring food to the nest box is getting pretty fierce!
A few hours later and another chick, or perhaps the same one, goes walkabout.
Two minutes later there are two of them . . .
. . . and now there are three!
It's all looking a bit disorganised!
That's better. That's more normal!
Again, you can see that they all seem to have their eyes open now.
It is now getting late. The chicks seem to be calming down - presumably because nobody is bringing them food!
I might have known - that was just asking for it!
Food will always rouse them . . .
. . . but they always calm down pretty quickly after it.
This is the last shot of the day. They all appear to be settling down for the night - and of course, there is no sign of mum(s).