BLUE TITS (30)

Well now. I am still expecting any eggs to hatch in around 5 days time, and for Anna and I to hear the nestlings start peeping.
The female is still sitting in the box most of the time, although she does leave for 5 minutes at a time to stretch her wings, and maybe grab a bite to eat or wash.

The male is still doing his job reasonably well as far as we can tell. He will pluck a caterpillar or small insect from a nearby branch, fly to our neighbours' tree where he can see the Box and also see if the coast is clear to approach, call her (with his mouth full of food - has he no manners?), she'll rattle back to him from the Box and he'll then fly in and deliver her meal.

Meals have varied between brown caterpillars, green caterpillars and small insects. Sometimes he flies to the Box with a meal for "the layyydeh o' the hoose" and she'll be on one of her 5 minute forays, so, confused, he'll fly away with the caterpillar and (I assume) eat it himself.

This morning, just before I set off for work, the male flew between Anna and I with a small insect for his other half. Because we were both in the garden, he spent 30 seconds on our fence (nearer where Anna was sitting) before flying to the Box.

Anna got a good look at what he was carrying for her, and when he left the box and flew away, (after giving her some breakfast), Anna said: "Was that all he had for her? If I'd have been her, I'd have been a bit pissed off with the size of that meal after all my hard work!"

It's true to say, that normally, after she's been fed, she stops "rattling" to him, but this morning, after he flew away, she did continue to make a bit of a racket, and did seem to be a little angry, in the Box!!
I don't know! Bleedin' ungrateful if you ask me!

On another note, I've noticed that beautiful Magpie (mentioned in a much earlier post) much more over the past week. He's getting very bold, and has looked at the Nest Box, from below, and above, but hasn't approached it yet.
Magpies, Woodpeckers, Crows and Squirrels will all try to raid nests if they can, although with Bird Boxes like ours, they've got a real job on their hands.
I don't expect our Tits to be in danger until they fledge, and even then, they are more likely to be taken by a cat or Sparrowhawk...