Live Stream of my Bird Box - Bluetits Nesting - Chicks Hatching Now

robfosters · 12 May 2020 at 12:21

Nazbit said:
Thanks I'll check it out.

Third chick has just hatched.

He’s using his shell as a hat

Minxy · 12 May 2020 at 12:34

robfosters said:
He’s using his shell as a hat

That one must be Bashful

Nazbit · 12 May 2020 at 12:48

More of a crown than a hat I'd say!

Stream was buffering a lot so I've run an ethernet cable from one bridge to the other. Bit rate is much higher now.

You guys can explain to my fiancee why it's trailing through three rooms.

Nazbit · 12 May 2020 at 12:50

Not sure where all these catapillar are coming from! I've not seen any in the garden.

I reckon one more to hatch today what do you think?

Minxy · 12 May 2020 at 13:04

Let’s hope so. They don’t want to be too far apart or the later ones won’t get as much food as the stronger ones will fight them off for it.

Nazbit · 12 May 2020 at 13:51

You can only see one chick but I just thought this was a really good angle of one of them feeding in direct line of sight.

(Make sure you set it to 1080 and full screen it)

Hilly · 12 May 2020 at 14:12

Minxy said:
That one must be Bashful

surely it's Dopey?!

Good thread, thank you!

The girlfriend is invested (which makes me invested I guess) in the birds we have; I have a bird box build directly into the house (in the brick, can't be accessed), which Sparrows have setup home in. We have blue ****, great ****, sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, magpies, dunnocks, goldfinches and a woodpecker which all come pretty much everyday - lots of feeding involved. They're eating me out of house and home

Skidder · 12 May 2020 at 14:40

Love this thread. Nice work OP. Enjoying this with my family. We have some BTs nesting too so nice to see what is probably going on with ours. Got lucky last year and watched them fledge

Nazbit · 12 May 2020 at 14:52

I'm glad you're all interested and enjoying it.

I must admit that the streaming has been much more effort and work than I had anticipated and I've been tearing my hair our on more than one occasion.

Makes it worthwhile to hear people like it though so I'm pleased and glad to share it all with you.

Nazbit · 12 May 2020 at 15:12

Not sure if I saw some egg shell then. We might have another one on the way.

Edit - False alarm. Three mouths to feed...

majestyk · 12 May 2020 at 15:42

This is good stuff.
Anyone notice the male goes in to box 3 before box 1?
If all seven hatch they are going to be busy.

Deleted member 77746 · 12 May 2020 at 15:46

That's a great pic! Even better that they got their mouths open in the pic lol

Mcnumpty2323 · 12 May 2020 at 16:28

mrbell1984 said:
That's a great pic! Even better that they got their mouths open in the pic lol

If they all have their mouths open
At same time
Does that mean they are all female

Nazbit · 12 May 2020 at 17:13

Hilly said:
They're eating me out of house and home

They really do don't they.

Right now I've got sunflower hearts, nyjer seed, peanuts, peanut butter, suet and mealworms out.

Don't know what's wrong with me it's costing me a fortune. The rate that they can go through the sunflower in late spring / early summer is incredible.

majestyk said:
This is good stuff.
Anyone notice the male goes in to box 3 before box 1?

Seems set in that routine doesn't he?

It's been interesting to watch the male through the day. At the start he had no idea how to feed the chicks and watched the female intently. He then started to imitate the noises she makes to call them and has got a lot better at it through the day. He's still not quite got it off to her level but made a big effort. He's even sat on the chicks a few times when he's come in and she's been out to give them some warmth.

Deleted member 77746 · 12 May 2020 at 18:10

Mcnumpty2323 said:
If they all have their mouths open
At same time
Does that mean they are all female

LOL

Minxy · 12 May 2020 at 18:12

Our male woodpecker has started putting in regular appearances again so we are wondering if he is feeding chicks and a missus somewhere.

Great shot of the babies with their traps open.

mrgubby · 12 May 2020 at 19:23

Another one of our chicks died today, now we're down to seven

Chick being removed linky

Nazbit · 12 May 2020 at 19:45

mrgubby said:
Another one of our chicks died today, now we're down to seven

Chick being removed linky

Sad. Did you see any sign or indications before hand? At least you still have a good number hopefully they will all fledge.

Just different in nature isn't it. Survival of the fittest. Guess that's why they have such large clutches of eggs because the mortality rate is so high both on chicks and fledglings in their first year outside the nest.

Looks like we are still on three here. Hopefully they're all doing well but time is getting on for any more to hatch today.

mrgubby · 12 May 2020 at 22:38

Two of the eggs hatched days after the rest so were always behind in size to compete for food which meant they probably starved.

robfosters · 13 May 2020 at 07:08

I think a fourth one has arrived!