Bird Box Diary 2009 - Page Three



 Friday, 22nd May
We are still having pretty awful weather.  It's wet and windy today although there was some sunshine yesterday.  The forecast for tomorrow is for more rain but Sunday looks more promising.
I managed to catch a couple of interesting visits on video yesterday which show all seven chicks quite clearly.  It also shows that their feathers are growing and they are getting much darker.  We have had the sound turned up but can't hear any sounds from the chicks.  However, when I played this video, I could hear them cheeping.
The clip shows one parent come in to feed and then, a short while later, the other one comes in and one of them removes a faecal sac.  You can see the wings of the chick and the beginnings of the wing feathers.
 
Tuesday, 26th May
The chicks are really beginning to look like bluetits.  Some have been flexing their wings and there are a couple that are noticeably more advanced than most.  They tend to be to ones at the top of the pile and first in the queue for grub!  You can see the colour markings around their heads; their eyes are open and they have full voices.  There are two videos today which I edited from yesterday's visits.  The first shows a particularly large spider being offered around until a taker is found and the other shows several feeds during the morning.  If you click the image of the spider one, it will open a larger version where you can see the legs more clearly.  In the second one, I have only edited out one short, inactive period of about 20 seconds.

Being fed with a spider
 

Several feeding visits
Thursday, 28th May
The nest is now very noisy, very busy and very crowded.  For the last two nights, Mum hasn't roosted with her chicks.  I assume it's because they fidget and preen which keeps her awake.
This afternoon, I grabbed this bit of video that shows how the chicks behave whilst waiting for their next feed.  It's clear that some are smaller and less adventurous than the older ones.  The bigger ones climb to the top of the stack so as to be first in line for any offerings.  The smaller ones still have ear tufts but the bigger ones are looking almost fully developed.  The video shows one of the parents come in to feed and then leave.  A short while later, it comes in with food and is quickly followed by the other adult who isn't very careful about where it lands.  Hence, the first one beats a hasty retreat and leaves the other one to retrieve a faecal sac to remove.  It difficult to believe that these chicks are only 16 days since hatching.  They should be ready to fledge this weekend.  Click the picture for a larger version and the video icon for a short video.  Have the sound turned up, too.


Sunday, 31st May
The nest is now empty!  The chicks had all left by 9.30 this morning.  I set up a camera outside on the deck to video them leaving from outside so that I could cross-edit the inside and outside shots.  After 90 minutes, I changed the tape to get the last one.  Having run through the first tape, I found it was all out of focus.  For some reason, the camera was either in manual focus mode or was using the straight lines of the windows to focus upon.  The first one actually left at 8.16 and then there was a delay until 8.29 when the second one made a snap decision, leapt to the entrance and was gone.  I was surprised that I didn't hear the call "GERONIMO!!"  In fact, I didn't hear anything!  This particular clip had no sound.  It was odd, because the sound graph was showing on the audio channel but... zilch!  With just five left, Mum arrived with what appeared to be a winged insect .  I was devoured and Mum left.  Within three minutes, numbers three and four went.  There was a good deal of perch-swapping going on and then number three went quite quickly.  His place was taken by number four who hesitated, lightened his load (without a thought for his sibling beneath!)  and then he went.  I'm not sure if he was pushed or the one perched on the right-hand window pushed past.  Watch the video and see what you think.  (First video)
Number six was another who didn't hang about but, as soon as he'd gone, there must have been an alarm call from Mum as the remaining two cowered in the nest cup.  About two minutes later, the youngest and smallest chick is seen preening himself while number six thinks about leaving.  Mum arrives with a nice, juicy, green caterpillar and tempts number Six but leaves without giving it to either chick.  Number six takes up his exit position but has second thoughts. He jettisons his excess weight (or was that fear!) and then hops down beside number seven with one wing spread to cover himself.  He looks as if he should be saying, " I frighted!"  The two remain cowered for a while.  I missed number six leave as it was during our breakfast time.  When I returned to watch, there was just Tiny Tim left.  Like many before him, he shows his fear just before he leaves!


 


 Video of 3 4 and 5 leaving.
Watch Tiny Tim (You can't see me; right!)


 Video of the false start by number 6

 

 


 Video of last one out


 Video of a very relaxed fox

A longer version of this video is now on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCOKh41AuaU

Well!  That's the end of the diary for this year.  In the past, we haven't seen any of the chicks around the garden for a couple of weeks.  We do see the adults who collect food for the chicks and fly off down the side of the field behind us.  I believe they roost way down the far end somewhere.  After a couple of weeks, they usually all return to have a lesson in using the different feeders.  If that happens, I'll try to get video and photos to post.

Our little vixen arrived quite early last night and this time, she had her mate with her.  Although the sliding patio door was open, they both came up to the door to feed from the bowls.  I was actually speaking to my nephew on the phone at the time.  It was really exciting that they were so relaxed.  The three badgers came just after dusk and had another tussle over the food bowls.  Bully Boy Billy being the instigator!! 
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