Still enjoying watching the kestrel chicks from our back door. But yesterday I found myself surrounded by a newly fledged family of goldcrests.

Plenty of other local animals filling the void of the departed great tit brood. To scale, these sika deer are probably closer to my desk than the chicks were.

They’ve gone! In a crowded box, Mummy struggled to get out. And the first off her offspring quickly followed. Within ten minutes, they’d all departed.

Surely they are going to depart soon?

Today MUST be the day: everyone looking very restless, lots of flapping and hopping up onto the entrance hole.

It wasn’t: they’re still here. And so loud that I can hear them clearly through the double glazed window

I’ve been too busy on the Vlieland nestbox project to check in on my home nestbox, but they are still there! Now racing home from The Netherlands in the hope I get there before they fledge.

Something that fascinated me throughout the incubation period is that the female continued to bring nest lining material. And she’s still adding to the nest now, even with chicks to feed.

Six open beaks here! So we may have one more egg to hatch.

We’re up to at least 5 successful hatching a now!