Fledging day!!!

Between 16:10 and 16:12 this afternoon the 3 Amigos fledged.

The first left at 16:10


The second at 16:12.


Closely followed by the third.


The nest box is now empty until next year.


UK GTs only lay one clutch of eggs per year (the continental race has two) so it is very unlikely we'll have a second clutch: however you never can tell!

The chicks are still in the nest box

The 3 amigos are still in the nest box but should fledge any day now. They're all very restless and periodically one takes a look outside through the entrance hole which is a good sign that they're ready the fledge.

Unlike this time last year the weather forecast for the next few days is good so once the chicks fledge they should have a few days of good weather in which to feed and fatten themselves up.

Only a few days more

The 3 amigos are just about ready to leave the safety of the nest box and enter the big wide world.

They're all fully equipped with their 'starter' flight feathers so all that remains is for them to pluck up enough courage and leave.

Test flight!

Both Mrs and Mr GT are risking life and limb taking food into the nest box owing to the chicks ravenous appetite and winner-take-all attitude!

The eldest chick (or the most developed) is now starting to test and exercise its wings: not the most sociable activity in such a confined space but hey-ho. Fledging is now less than a week away.

Not long now until fledging

Over the past 2-days the chicks have changed phenomenally. They now all have typical black caps, yellow breast feathers and a central black chest strip.

Both Mrs and Mr GT have been run-ragged feeding the 3 Amigos who will probably fledge sometime within the next week. It is amazing how the whole process from hatching to fledging only takes about 3-weeks. Although the chicks have grown feathers these are only 'starter' feathers to enable the chicks to fledge the nest quickly. The quality of starter feathers is quite poor so they'll be replaced over the coming summer and autumn with adult feathers through moulting.

According to the BTO website (http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob14640.htm) the survival rate for juvenile GTs is only 38% in their first year. There is also a measurable decline in brood size over the past few years but this years 3 is very low and we do wonder whether this is a result of last years poor breeding season.

It's all go now!

The 3-chicks are growing at a rapid rate of knots. All have visible wing feathers and little black caps typical of the GT. Both Mr & Mrs GT are bringing food on a regilar basis and we estimate that fledging should occur sometime over the coming Bank Holiday weekend.

Two of the three chicks are doing well, but we're unsure about the third

Two of the GT chicks appear to be doing really well whereas we rarely see the third and much smaller chick. It never ceases to amaze us how quickly the chicks grow bearing in mind they are now just 10-days old and have increased in size by at least an order of magnitude. All the chicks are starting to grow their starter feathers which will be replaced later in the year by new proper feathers.

Owing to technical difficulties we've had to take our video server off-line for the time being. All being well we're hoping to be able to continue to publish our blog because images are also saved on a standalone PC.