Blue tit birdbox in Durham

Here's today's update

Wonderful footage Billy, such clear views, it's a beautiful time of year, thanks for sharing your nest cam video.

Great footage, Billy. I make it nine eggs so far. Parents are going to be busy to feed all those hungry mouths if they all hatch. I hope you've got a good supply of live mealworms to help them out when the time comes.

Hi Tony
There's 10 eggs, so there might be10 chicks I guess.
Not sure of the probability of them all hatching. I've been told by a friend (a non-expert) that if there's too many mouths to feed, then the mother may evict chicks out of the nest and throw them to the ground!!

So, should I think about placing a little bit of extra mealworms where the parents can see it?

I realise I don't want to encourage predators - I've shifted the long tails already - they're gone.

Do people help the birds who have big hatchlings?

Morning Billy,    I supply live mealworms which provide an easy supply of high protein food for the adults and their chicks,  placed well away from the nesting boxes/sites which the birds can access easily or you can use this type of hanging guardian cage with in-built dish for food  -  it's an exhausting process for the adult birds as they try find as much as 100 insects/caterpillars per day for each chick.     I use either the hanging feeder guardian cage or a ground narrow mesh guardian cage to prevent larger birds, including blackbirds from raiding the expensive mealworms  (I do still give the blackbirds some mealworms which I sprinkle out on the ground for them).   They are a bit expensive to purchase but for a few weeks to help the nestlings/fledglings and their parent birds it is worth it.   I order my live mealworms from here.       You can always provide suet sprinkles and crumbled up fat cake instead, along with quality sunflower hearts for them which is less costly although the birds will queue up for the live mealworms first !    

The birds' eggs are still being incubated, and the male at last seems to be upping his game. The clip showed us both a trust in her partner and a moment of sheer terror for him …

It is lovely to watch your updates Billy. He is looking after his misses, and yes just at the very end, looking and thinking Mmmm dunno what to do with those, I will just pop out, herself will soon be back!! Look forward to seeing the little ones. Thanks.

We're in the middle of the incubation time, but it's nice to see the parents still working as a couple in our garden. One of the birds is using the crow-proof fat ball feeder I made.