To paint the shed Mr Flum had to remove the bird box. Eventually he took off the top to check the nest.

This revealed a sad sight - in a perfect cup of wool, moss and grass sat three eggs unhatched and two, three or maybe more shattered, though no little bodies.

The box is protected from every foe as far as is possible as we can't imagine what might have happened but clearly there was no live brood this year.

It will be tidied up and re-hung to provide winter shelter and we shall see what next spring brings.