In Box2 there are 9 or 10 eggs. There are so many feathers in the nest box that it is difficult to see, but I do not think there are more than 10.
Before we get to the days main story, we start with a summary of what is happening in all three boxes.
Here is another picture of the eggs in Box2. I don't think it helps much!
This is Box1. Although one of our bluetits often visits, the nest has not been completed and there are no feathers in it. The wooden bottom of the box is clearly visible where the egg cup will be.
Box3 looks much more promising. Recent progress has been good and nesting material is still being brought into the box.
Back in Box1, it all starts very abruptly.
One minute is seems to be business as usual, and the next all hell breaks loose!
One bluetit is inside Box1 and another is on the entrance hole outside.
Suddenly the bird outside looks up . . .
. . . another bluetit is dive bombing it!
It gets knocked off its perch . . .
. . . and the dive bomber misses the hole too!
One of the two birds then returns to the entrance hole. I guess from what happens subsequently that this is the attacker.
In it goes - straight inside!
Immediately a fight starts.
This is a serious fight - the birds are not just pecking mildly at each other like the birds in Box2.
Outside the other bird is wondering what is happening inside the box - but clearly, it doesn't want to get involved.
(On one occasion we had a fight in which a third bird did get involved - but that was several years ago!)
From where it was, the bird outside the box couldn't see what was happening anyway - not that it could make sense of it even if it could see what was happening.