Tuesday

The BTO are reporting high numbers of nest box broods being wiped out this year, seemingly due to a lack of suitable food. I don't know yet whether this is affecting just Blue Tits, but I have noted a significant drop in food being brought to our nest box over the past two days. Today, for example, we've seen plenty of visits from Charlie & Lola but that included a high number of 'no food' visits. I've also seen an increase in 'dry' food being brought in: things like sunflower hearts and peanuts, which contain no moisture for the chicks. (I assume they are both still around - Lola certainly is and some quick-fire visits suggests Charlie is, too, but I'll check that tomorrow) Both Blue Tit broods at Malcolm & Elizabeth's Bluetit Pages died in the first few days following hatching, but their Great Tit brood fledged successfully. And a number of their visitors are reporting the same thing. One Blue Tit brood died at almost two weeks old and the BTO informed this lady that chicks need an average of 100 caterpillars a day EACH! Ours are getting nothing like that amount!

So, we still have six hungry mouths...

A yawn.




It's like something from a horror film!

One of the parents waiting for a faecal sac... which never arrived!

Fluffy heads

Lola arrived back at the nest at 9:05pm to brood her chicks overnight.

And because I'm a soft touch, the mealworms are on order.