The following series of pictures are from nesting box 1, commencing February 2002.
Click on a picture for a larger view.
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| Inside box 1. | Roosting, February. | March 14, been roosting every night now. | March 16, beginnings of a nest. |
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| March 21, nest-building continues. | April 7, asleep on her nest. | April 30, 3 or maybe 4 eggs. | May 1. 6 eggs this morning, well covered. |
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| May 1, settling down for the night. | May 1, A rare view; 7 eggs clearly visible whilst she is away for a few minutes. | May 2, 8 eggs. | May 3, 9 eggs. |
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| May 4, 10 eggs. | May 14, still sitting. | May 16; Four chicks hatched this morning. | May 16; Another chick hatches out. At the left of the nest, it is just possible to see half an eggshell with the chick in it. The mother has just flown off with the other half of the shell. |
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| May 17, feeding time. | May 18, 5 hungry mouths to feed. | May 20, Both parents feeding the young. | May 23,growing all the time. |
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| May 24, After a rather cold and windy night, there are only two chicks this morning.Two of the unhatched eggs are clearly visible. | May 25, The two chicks have survived another cold, windy night. | May 26: Only one chick this morning, and after a day when it barely ceased raining, and the temperature never rose above 10C, it finally gave up it's short life. | |
| May 28.On a much more cheerful note, this afternoon I have been watching two blue-tit fledglings in the trees in my garden, being fed by their parents. I've no idea where they nested, but they must have been some days in advance of those in my nesting box, and presumably more able to survive the weather of the last week. | |||
Page created 16 February 2002. Last modified 28 May 2002.