Six Chicks!

Time for an all-important head count! Logging on to the live feed this morning showed Lola on the nest, so I went through the playback footage instead.

Chick 5 hatched sometime during the night or early morning. This picture shows four chicks lying in a row, with a hungry chick begging for food. But what about the other egg? Has it hatched yet?

The sixth, and last, egg is just visible here and it still looks intact.

Twenty minutes later, at 9:30am, Lola produced the final shell. Six eggs, six chicks!

Charlie is now feeding the chicks himself and he seems to be finding plenty of food around the garden.

Five of six gapes.

Six pink blobs. Their eyes will open at around 8-9 days old.

One of the very few shots of the six chicks in an almost upright position!

Lola settles down for the night while Charlie slums it outside!

So far, so good! Charlie is making lightening-fast food deliveries and all six chicks appear to be getting enough food. It's been a dull, cold and wet day today, and Lola has spent very little time away from the nest.

No sign of any Starling peering into the box today. Phew!