Bird Box Diary 2002
The Last Week?

Monday, 27th May, 2002 A fairly uneventful day, today.  I have been keeping the feeders replenished every few hours and I can see the chicks are settled down without Mum.  One or two have their heads under their wings but most are head-down and asleep.  This is the first time that Mum has not been with them overnight.  I suppose they wriggle too much! We had a fly-past by the sparrowhawk at 7.10 but didn't see if she was successful or not.  There was also a family of pheasants in the field behind us who were out for a 'constitutional'.  I'm off to listen to the bats, now.

Tuesday,  28th May, 2002 This morning began very wet and drizzly.  I refilled all the feeders and sat to watch and record events.  I was able to see all seven chicks quite clearly for the first time in ages.  I also captured the little clip that is linked to the picture on the right.  It shows all seven chicks.  Then Mum arrives with a large mealworm and gives it to one of her offspring who devours it, bows and presents its rear end to supply a faecal sac which Mum removes.  I actually saw her fly to the hawthorn in the field behind us and deposit it on one of the top-most branches where it shone like a white flag!  It was soon washed off by the rain!  The video is 15 seconds and 290k.

Wednesday,  29th May, 2002 The chicks are getting very inquisitive about what happens outside the nest hole.  Yesterday was the first time that we saw a chick leap up to the hole to gaze upon the wide world outside.  It didn't stay long, though. This morning, there has been a great deal of wing-flapping and preening.  On one occasion, Mum came into the nest and one of the chicks jumped up to the window to look out.  I dashed through to the lounge to see its little head sticking out and then it came out even further.  For a moment, I thought it was going to fly away.  It decided that this was not the time and so returned to the others. There has been a lot of interest from the local 'Mafia' this morning.  I have had to chase off the magpies, usually two at a time, from the feed on the ground.  When they arrive, I am sure that one of the parents gives a warning cry.  This is because I can see all of the chicks cower as one and stay motionless.  That is my cue to chase them off again.  The pictures show them cowering, watching and listening.

Thursday,  30th May, 2002 It's a nasty wet, drizzly morning, again.  The first sight that greeted me when I looked out at 5.20 was that *&%($%$ cat.  It was curled up under the feeders.  I 'shooed' it off and then I replenished the feeder. Next, I set up the video camera to tape the outside of the box.  Then I started both VCRs  so that I will be able to synchronise the events inside and outside the box for the final video. By 5.40, the feeding had begun and it looks as if all the chicks need to relieve themselves as the faecal sacs are accompanying every mealworm! I am fairly sure that today will be leaving day.  Yesterday, there were a few occasions when Viv and I thought that one brave/foolish soul was going to make a leap for freedom. 10.10 am.  The first chick left at 9.15 followed by two more at 9.30 and 9.32.  There are now just these four left.  One is buried beneath the others and they are all having a snooze.

Another has just left.  It's 10.16. and three are left. At 10.25 another one left.  There are two left. 10.28  One left! 10.57 All gone!  The last one took a great deal of coaxing but finally left and joined the others in the Hawthorn tree.  I shall be editing some video to put up later.  I have four three hour tapes to go through!

Saturday, 1st June, 2002 I have finally managed to find the time to edit a piece of video.  This clip shows Mum arrive at the nest with a mealworm.  Once inside, she feeds it to a chick and, at the same time, another chick jumps up to the nest hole and distracts her to such an extent that she fails to see that the 'feedee' has left a deposit of a faecal sac.  As soon as she realises it, she picks it up and takes it out.  The chick returns to the hole and, after a great deal of decision making, finally takes that one small step for an adult but one giant leap for a new chick!  I have two versions; one has the sound left in and the other is silent.  The sound one is 560k and lasts for 23 seconds.  The silent one is the same length but half the size at 280k.   Silent here

Thursday, 6th June, 2002
It has been exactly a week since they chicks fledged.  During that time we have seen very little of the parents and nothing of the chicks since they left the hawthorn tree.
I have continued to fill the mealworm feeder and today, I saw a bluetit in it for the first time in a week. In this damp atmosphere, the mealworms have been able to get a 'foothold' on the wood and make a run for it.  Most are picked off the outside by the local sparrow mob.  Their numbers have been swelled considerably by the number of new arrivals.
I generally chuck a few on the ground for the local robins and today I have just seen a chaffinch grab three and fly off with them.

Thursday, 13th June, 2002
We have seen several of the chicks around the garden.  On one occasion, we saw three on the fence and at least two others following Mum and Dad.  In the last couple of days, they have been more independent and I have seen them on the peanut feeder without their parents.