When I switch on at 7:56am it is clear that nearly all the chicks have fledged. There are just two left - the timid ones - and they huddle together for comfort.
Fortunately they still get fed by their parents. Here is one of them coming with a feed for them.
Within 10 minutes of the last feed above, the penultimate chick fledges.
The last chick gets a stern taking to from Dad.
"I don't want to go - I just want food!"
Off goes Dad (or is it Mum! I still can't tell the parents apart.)
Finally, just before 9am, the last chick fledges.
For all 10 chicks to fledge is a magnificent achievement for Sooty and Jet. In all the years I have been keeping this diary, I have only had that happen once before in Box2 in 2011. Normally at least one chick dies and clutches as big as this one are unusual (other than when two females both lay in the same nest which has happened several times over the years).
I wonder what happened to Box1? Why did the pair there fail to complete the nest? I still have the records - perhaps I'll have a look in the autumn.
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