BLUE TITS (48)

Another photo from inside "Tit Towers", and a better shot of one of the nestlings -Click to enlarge.

The chicks are coming on really well, and now I'm pretty sure they'll fledge in a week. I think you will just be able to make out part of another nestling behind the one in the foreground, but once again, I can't seem to get more than this in the shot at the moment - the opening to the box is just too small, and I haven't got much time to take a photo.

I'm on nights this week, I've just returned from a run and given the family another helping of Mealworms. It's STILL raining here, although its much warmer today, so with any luck, it'll dry out and Scargill and Anne can provide more wild fodder for their young birds.
Anna did return from work yesterday, literally laden down with Waxworms and Mealworms, what with all the rain over the past ten days or so, I honestly think this may well have been a lifesaver for a few of the nestlings. I am hoping, that after they've fledged, and we clean out the box, we don't find any dead chicks - we've certainly done our bit.

For the first time today also (and only once), Anne, when she grabbed a Mealworm from the sieve, did NOT bother taking it into a nearby tree to kill it and/or break it up. She flew straight to the box with it. AnnA had noted that both Scargill and AnnE were giving the chcks MUCH bigger mouthfulls recently - their gobs and stomachs are obviously able to cope now!

Scargill is still looking terrible, the feathers on his belly are going grey and thinning out now, and his head still looks no better. Not long now Scargill... keep it up!