It's
only half past six but Neptune is starting another day of looking for
Fantail!
However, time may have run out for him as today we caught two bluetits mating for the first time!
It was
about five past ten when we noticed a strange bird hopping around on box 1
again. This has happened many times since Fantail disappeared that we
thought little of it.
Luckily for us, computers don't suffer from a lapse of attention and so the following sequence was recorded for us.
Soon,
the strange male goes into the box. Looking at his tail, it's pretty
clear that this is not Neptune.
Within
about 5 seconds, another bluetit appeared on the roof of the box. As
was clear later, this was the female.
Inside
the box, the male makes the same type of movements that we noticed Neptune
doing shortly after Fantail left him, stretching his wings out and holding
them out across the box.
Perhaps it is part of checking that there is enough space there for his chicks?
The poor picture quality is due the the spiders' webs which are across the inside of the box. This evening, I must go and clear them away - it would be just our luck if a bird started roosting in the box before it had been cleaned of cobwebs!
Now he
has moved to the nestbox hole, still with his wings out