Fare well

My second blip was a blue tit outside a nesting box and since then I have mentioned this blue tit family several times. Today my blip is of the inside of the nesting box.

The parents cleared out last year's nesting material, brought in new material and painstakingly made a new nest. Mrs Blue tit laid 9 eggs, eight hatched and there are now 5 chicks who have grown from pink, scrawny featherless blobs into very blue-tit like cheeping, cheeky, preening, pecking, wing flapping chicks. They make occasional forays from the deep nest on to the area round about and I don't think it will be long until they leave the nesting box. Sadly, we are going away for the next few days and will probably miss this event. Fare well little blue tits.

I've not discovered how to get a good photo on a TV, but it is possible (just) to make out the 5 chicks. There are 3 distinct beaks, one head and underneath, to the right of the top bird, is the fifth one.

It has been an interesting and rewarding experience witnessing the daily activity in the nest box and I have the greatest admiration for the parents and am very grateful to them for removing so many caterpillars and grubs from the local vegetation.

Thanks Iain for such a great present.

Whilst writing this I was called to hear the gentle purr of an outboard motor - I'll try to put some photos of a very happy man admiring an outboard motor - in a dustbin, in a garage - in my blipfolio for those of you who are interested!!