This
is the first image picked up by our outside camera. It is 5.34am and
here you can see Fluffy leaving the nest with a faecal sac. When a
chick's got to go ... !
Another
nice shot of Fluffy coming into land!
This
is the start of what we think is an amusing sequence.
Fluffy is sitting on the chicks, keeping them warm. It is 6.20pm and it's been a long day for everyone.
Barney
comes in with a little green grub. Fluffy wants him to give to her but
Barney wants to feed the chicks himself. He crowds her but she does
not budge!
Suddenly,
Barney decides he's had enough. He turns with the grub still in his
beak and leaves the nest.
That's
it - she can feed them herself!
Two
seconds later he is back at the nest box entrance. Directly he left,
Fluffy got off the nest and went to the hole herself. They meet there
- and of course Barney passes the grub to Fluffy.
She
takes it and turns back to the chicks with the grub in her beak.
As she
feeds them, Barney comes in to watch.
They
are all friends again as Fluffy feeds the chicks watched by their dad.
Twelve
seconds later, they are both off to get more food.
We counted the number of feeding trips during the hour from 6.15am today. It came to 51 - that's between 7 and 8 grubs per chick in that time!
No wonder the chicks grow so fast!