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Post by Beechnut on May 3, 2019 12:03:22 GMT
Under Karen's Waxworm feeder thread Sue. Sorry
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Post by sammi on May 3, 2019 13:13:42 GMT
Great video Beechnut can't be long now
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Post by suep on May 3, 2019 14:45:29 GMT
Under Karen's Waxworm feeder thread Sue. Sorry Found it - very clever. Wonder if these little birds realise how much hard work we put in to help them? Well done Beechnut. Sue
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Post by blueeyedchick on May 3, 2019 16:30:47 GMT
Lovely news Beechnut hope all goes well at fleging time! Have a good bank holiday but expect they will wait as it's getting chilly.
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Post by Beechnut on May 4, 2019 8:43:34 GMT
Yes Kathy, they seem to be a bit reluctant to totally abandon the cup, only a couple of them (probably the first two hatched) have been exercising their wings without leaving the floor, and moving around the rest of the nestbox, but no attempt to get on the hole as yet.
The other three are keeping firmly entrenched in the cup.
Mum and Dad still feeding from their own separate feeders, with an occasional spider or winged insect from a natural source!
It will be 20/21 days come Monday so they should be starting to get thinking seriously about vacating the property.
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Post by Beechnut on May 5, 2019 7:47:41 GMT
All 5 still in the box this morning - not that interested in venturing very far. The first born did manage to get airborn while exercising his wings and seemed quite bemused when he got back to the box floor. Finally got three to get out of the cup at the same time, albeit the third didn't get much further than the edge of the back of the cup! Don't think it will be today. ![](https://i.postimg.cc/bY4RNnKf/3-out-of-cup-May05.jpg)
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Post by blueeyedchick on May 5, 2019 8:01:05 GMT
We all know don't we Beechnut that the more mature they are before leaving they have a better chance of survival in the outside world. However, nature prompts them to go but parents want to wait until the conditions are right, wonderful isn't it? They are looking so well fed and the markings are just fabulous, perfect in every way! When they do go it's a job well done all round including you!
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Post by Beechnut on May 5, 2019 8:19:14 GMT
Well thankyou Kathy - We all try to do our best for our 'babies' and it is so frustrating sometimes when they don't want or can't find the food that is put out for them (I had mini mealworms in 5 feeders within 3-12m of the box from 2 days before hatching, with no takers for over a week). I shouldn't have worried really because they were finding plenty of natural food from the immediate surroundings, now of course they don't need to fly so far to get the mealies - but they are still supplemented with spiders, flies etc now and again.
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Post by Beechnut on May 5, 2019 10:29:11 GMT
Here's a pic of 2p leaving the box after delivering a feed. She turned through 90 degrees in a matter of inches of flight!
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Post by Beechnut on May 5, 2019 11:17:37 GMT
Now then - here's a question for you ornithologists - Tuppence for the last three visits to the box has brought in a beakfull of the soft stuff she lines the cup with when she's building the nest. What's that all about - Anyone know?
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Post by Ann70 on May 5, 2019 11:24:35 GMT
great photo beechnut,
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Post by suep on May 5, 2019 12:15:09 GMT
Great photo Beechnut. No idea about the soft material, bit late for that unless she’s planning to reline the cup and start a second brood? Sue
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Post by Beechnut on May 5, 2019 15:35:06 GMT
Thanks guys.
I wondered that Sue, but it's a bit early surely?
There is very little of the cup in evidence now. 4 of the 5 very active with preening and wing exercising - not that much aerial activity though.
The 5th chick is not really joining in, it's in the corner keeping a low profile - probably the last to hatch, almost 24hrs after the first.
I had one like that last year, kept in that same corner while it's siblings were readying themselves for the outside world and it was several hours alone in the box before fledging.
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Post by YorksherLass on May 5, 2019 16:08:14 GMT
Great piccie Beechnut!
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merylt
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Post by merylt on May 5, 2019 16:57:10 GMT
Hi Beechnut. Funnily enough, our female has been doing the same thing. The nest has collapsed down and all 3 chicks are bouncing around on top of each other and wing flapping a lot. They seem to be more advanced than I was expecting - thought they would go next weekend but look as if they could in a day or two instead. Last year it was 22 days but we are on 15 days.
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Post by kevin on May 5, 2019 17:18:55 GMT
Great picture Beechnut. I am enjoying reading your thread.
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Post by Beechnut on May 5, 2019 18:26:50 GMT
Thanks Kevin - I try to share as much as I can, Meryl, I think yours are on 17 days now (hatched 18th April?).
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merylt
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Post by merylt on May 5, 2019 19:33:15 GMT
Hi. Yes. Hatched on 18th so due to go any day now. Loads of birds taking the mealworms though and lots to watch.
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Post by Beechnut on May 6, 2019 7:52:06 GMT
Plenty of activity here this morning - one chick managed to fly up into the rafters just before 8am. ![](https://i.postimg.cc/ncxDzW6K/P-May06-075830.jpg)
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Post by Beechnut on May 6, 2019 8:08:25 GMT
They have all gone - after looking earlier and thinking there would be nothing happening today other than the usual flying around and up on the hole looking out etc. - from sitting in the corner where the cup was at about 7-50, the last one went at around 8-35. I missed the first two completely, I was hoping to catch the outside fledge with the new security camera set on movement detection - but the movement was so quick it didn't register! There was no 'will I - won't I' on the hole, it was all over in a wing beat. It's certainly been a funny old year - a delayed laying and an express departure. I'll be looking at the video footage I have managed to get of the fledge (hopefully the whole exit from inside) and produce something to put up over the few days.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2019 9:15:24 GMT
Wow! Such an early clutch Beechnut! Our birds are just laying up here! Good to see them successfully fledge!
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Post by Beechnut on May 6, 2019 9:18:41 GMT
After a quick look at the inside fledge recording, it started at 0829 and the 5th chick departed at 0833 - probably the quickest evacuation I can recall!
So I shall be in the cutting room for a day or two sorting the vid.
Rather annoyed that I didn't set the outside camera to continuous record for the last hour - but when I looked in at them around 7-45am I didn't expect they would be leaving within the hour! 19-20 days from hatching to fledging.
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Post by Beechnut on May 6, 2019 9:22:48 GMT
Thanks Benn - We've managed to make another GT first.
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Post by suep on May 6, 2019 10:01:47 GMT
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Post by blueeyedchick on May 6, 2019 10:15:48 GMT
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