On Thursday 31 May the blue tit chicks were getting very restless in the box. There was lots of preening, wing stretching and flapping. 

The parents tried to encourage chicks to venture out into the world.

One of the chicks was enticed out, however, the weather took a turn for the worse and despite the parents best persuasions the rest of the brood decided to stay put and keep warm. The following morning the remaining chicks did follow their sibling and left the nest.

The kestrel chicks are growing fast although we do have concerns over one little chap that sits at the back of the box while its siblings fight over who gets fed first. Like most birds, the kestrels breeding success is dependent on its supply of prey. If there is not enough food the parents will focus on feeding the strongest chicks and the weakest will not survive.

The recent poor weather will have affected the parents hunting so we are hoping for a dry weekend. That said the little fella is still managing to push forward and get a look in when the squabbling dies down.