Here he is looking out of the nest box hole. You can tell this is a chick rather than a parent because the feathers on his face and chest are yellow, rather than white.
One of the chicks looks very keen to fledge. I wonder whether he will go today?
Inside, the other chicks are not interested at all!
He has a really good long look, but isn't keen enough to make the great leap yet!
I wonder how young chicks make sense of what they see for the first time outside the box. After all, they have only seen the walls of the nest box so far in their short lives.
All six chicks are here. The top one is in fact two - one standing on top of another one.
Ten minutes later he is back for another look.
As before, the others don't want to know.
Six chicks and a parent. The bird in the middle is either Chloe or Chris, I can't tell which in this picture.
A few of the chicks look interested in the great outside - or are they just wondering when their next meal is being flown in?
A parent looking up to the heavens. This must be an exhausting and exasperating time for a bluetit parent.
All six chicks are still in the box.
More food for one of the chicks. Interestingly, the parent doesn't always feed the nearest and most conveniently placed chick. There seems to be some element of randomness in which chick they offer the food to. Even then, if the chick doesn't grab it immediately, the parent will take it away again to offer it to another chick. Another trait to ensure the available food is spread around all the chicks. Even Scrap sometimes got fed!
After the initial flurry of activity, things have calmed down a bit.
It's now early afternoon, and the bold chick is having another look outside.
But no, not yet!
Another look!
Will he or won't he?
All the rest of them look on without much enthusiasm. I can well imaging that if this chick does eventually fledge today, the rest will stay in the nest box at least one more night.
At 8.45pm the steady supply of food has stopped and the bold chick is bold no more. We will all have to wait until tomorrow! After all, I did forecast over a week ago that the chicks would fledge on Saturday 23rd!