Post by Delilah on May 20, 2019 14:19:15 GMT
We have not seen the Great tit parents visiting in the last few days - so carefully took down the box to have a look inside - all chicks grown and flown and no dead ones in there so assuming the ones we heard all made it!
I know one is not supposed to mess around with even empty boxes until after the nesting season, but... as I took a snap of the empty nest I realised it was moving considerably.. and having seen the blighters on our camera box in the past, knew exactly what was in there.. took out the nest and the whole debris at the bottom was heaving. Managed to isolate one of the lice and got a pic and enlarged it!
This is why we keep our duck and hen houses spotless!
Those poor Great tit babies must have been so relieved to get out of their biting/itchy house.
Box saturated with boiling water and back in place now, just in case!
and, of course, I am suffering from phantom itching now!!