It is
just ten past six in the morning and Neptune is already searching for
Fantail again.
Later,
he enters the box and spends some time looking out of the hole.
As bluetits only raise one brood each year - timed to coincide with the availability of green caterpillars on oak trees - we think that Neptune has missed his chance this year.
It the
meantime, Barney has already started collecting food for Fluffy and the
chicks. The day seems to start around dawn. Fluffy first left
the box at 5.36am
It must be quite difficult getting a good night's sleep when sitting on a nest full of wriggling chicks. Certainly, impossible to get a lie in!
We
think that Barney wants to feed the chicks himself. Here he seems to
be crowding Fluffy in the hope that she will get off the nest so that he can
do that.
Fluffy
isn't having any and sits tight. Eventually Barney gives in and passes
the food to her.
She
then gets off the nest in order to feed the chicks.