BLUE TITS (36) EGGS HATCHED!

Our eggs have hatched! (or at least one or two have).
Almost perfect timing - (they may have hatched yesterday, as I suggested would be the earliest they would) - it's fair to say they have definitely hatched today!

The difference in behaviour of the two birds is marked. The male ('poor little lamb' as Anna calls him, who also has a 'comb-over' now (Anna again)) is coming to the box every 2 or 3 minutes with caterpillars, grubs and insects.

Even when the female has left the box for a moment or two, he'll pop back continuously and deliver the scran (I assume) to the wide-mouthed tiny pink nestlings inside. When she is in the Box when he returns with food, he quickly delivers it to her, flies away, and one can hear her 'talking' to her nestlings in the box, to persuade them to eat. THis stage will not last long - both male and female will be run off their tiny feet (wings) any day now, trying to keep up with up to a dozen chicks with voracious appetites. Because of this, I will try to set up a "meal worm feeder" for the family, over the weekend. It's true to say that urban Blue Tit families do less well than woodland families, due to the lack of trees and available caterpillars. Our family seem to be doing ok at the moment, and there are plenty of trees around, but I'll give 'em a hand anyway. If I can find a tackle shop that stocks mealworms, not just maggots (disease-vectors for Tits).

Most Blue Tits eggs hatch around the same day, even if there is a dozen of them (not uncommon). This occurs because consistent incubation only begins when all eggs have been laid. The female will settle on the eggs (and has for the past 12 or 13 days), keeping the eggs close to her 'brood-patches' on her belly - patches of skin with less dense feathering and blood vessels close to the surface. In order for these patches to begin working effectively (ie keep the eggs warm, and begin development), she has to sit on the eggs for long periods of time - a night time roost isn't enough.

Anyway, my (laboured) point is I don't know how many eggs were laid, but its normally around 8. I don't know how many have hatched, but you can put a mortgage on the fact that once one hatches, give it a day or two, and all the eggs (that do) will have hatched.

By the end of tomorrow, I expect a box full of tiny nestlings.

I have managed to take a film of photos this afternoon, in good light, of the Tits (mainly the male) coming and going with food in their gobs, for the little ones.

I will post these photos (or what I consider to be the best ones) maybe today, if I have time, or over the weekend. I have to get them developed first, then transferred onto cd etc... (I've yet to go all digital on your asses).

NB. Please be warned though. As I've said before, the male is looking truely minty, sorry, shocking at the moment. He has basically lost ALL his feathers fro his crown, has bulging eyes and looks at death's door. You are fortunate that I took most of the photos from a position slightly below his chopstick perch, because when his 'comb-over' blows up in the breeze, you can see his skull...

I'm expecting the chicks to be fed for 18-20 days, (if the weather stays warm enough for a nice larder of caterpillars to be present nearby), and therefore fledge around the 22nd May. I'll try and get some shots of their little nibletty faces as they leave the box then.