Ellen

bluetit

Flying the nest

Day 59, Thank you all for following the journey of our seven blue tit chicks. It’s been a real joy to share a glimpse into their lives - and Marge’s story with you. Now, it’s time to say goodbye to the chicks of ’25. 0:00 /0:

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Family for life

Day 58, The chicks seem to be mostly getting on well with each other family for life That said, here’s a video of them having a little squabble. 0:00 /0:12 1×

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Marge and co

Day 57, Here's a clip of Marge cuddling with the chicks at night, along with an image of all seven chicks looking healthy and doing well. 0:00 /0:12 1×

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7 chicks

Day 56, The seven chicks are all doing well and looking healthy. Here's a clip of one of them once again being fed, along with a lovely photo of them all together. 0:00 /0:11 1×

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A Bittersweet Day

It’s day 55, and sadly, we can no longer spot all eight chicks in the nest at any one time. It’s possible that one may have been lost, but we’re not certain. The remaining chicks are still lively and growing fast. 0:00 /0:13 1×

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Maggot Mayhem

Day 54 , The chicks are getting big now and looking good. Marge lies on top of them, but she can’t cover them all anymore Here’s a clip of one chick struggling to eat a massive maggot - luckily, Marge takes it back just in time before it chokes.

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Spreading

Day 53, and the eight chicks are getting so big As you can see, they no longer fit in their little nest hole and are now spread around the box - giving them more space to move and a bit more mobility. 0:00 /0:12 1×

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Eyes open

Day 52, and here’s a clip showing the chick growing fast all have their eye's open and their first set of feathers. Fun fact: Blue tit chicks usually start opening their eyes about a week after hatching, a key step as they begin to sense the world

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Trying to be a chick

Day 51, and here’s a clip of Marge burrowing into her nest with her chicks. It looks as though she’s trying to blend in with them, almost as if she wants to become part of the brood herself. 0:00 /0:13 1×

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Lots of activity

Day 50, and Marge and Homer are is still managing to sustain the eight chicks, keeping them fed and warm at night. This means a lot of effort for them, and it’s surprising that they have been able to keep it up. 0:00 /0:13 1×

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Keeping It Clean

Day 49, today we learned that Blue Tit parents remove their chicks’ faecal (poo) sacs from the nest to keep it clean and safe. This clever behaviour helps prevent disease and avoids attracting predators. Marge and Homer continue to impress, even waste management is part of the plan. 0:00

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Not 7 its 8

Day 48, and today we’ve discovered that all 8 chicks are still alive and being fed. We hadn’t thought this was possible; firstly, because only seven chicks had been showing up in the footage, and secondly, because the idea of Marge and Homer finding and delivering around 100

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7 Healthy chicks

Day 47, and seven of the original eight chicks are doing brilliantly their feathers are really starting to come in. 0:00 /0:15 1×

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Sleep? I think not

Day 46, and Marge is looking a bit fed up. These chicks have her working non-stop, and she can’t even get in her beauty sleep. 0:00 /0:13 1×

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Remember sharing is caring

Day 45, heres a clip of a chick being fed an unusually large maggot and not sharing with its siblings 0:00 /0:13 1×

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Food time

Day 44, heres some footage of marge feeding her chicks. FUN FACT The growing chicks need a lot of food each day (on average up to 100 bits of food per chick)so if our blue tit were to have seven chicks she would then have to find 700 bits

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Eating egg shells

Day 43: Marge has been eating the egg shells after her chicks hatch for a bit of extra calcium. Waste nothing. 0:00 /0:12 1×

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Morning feed

Day 42, Morning feed FUN FACT - The Eurasian blue tit (Marge) likes to eat insects and spiders. Outside the breeding season, they also eat seeds and other vegetable-based foods. 0:00 /0:12 1×

Hatch day !!!

Day 41, and our chicks have hatched 8/8 some more videos then usual down below 0:00 /0:12 1× 0:00 /0:12 1×

Homer that you ?

Day 40, still no hatches yet, though there might have been a visit from Homer. 0:00 /0:12 1×

Helping with the cracking

Day 39, and Marge has been seen getting involved in the hatching process. In the video below, you can hear her gently tapping on the eggs. 0:00 /0:12 1×

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Rise and shine

Day 38, It’s now been 12 days since we first discovered Marge’s hidden brood of eggs. 0:00 /0:12 1×

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Still a no-show

Day 37, Homer hasn’t been seen for a while now, and we’re starting to wonder if he’s disappeared. Marge is still going alone, out foraging and keeping the nest in order . 0:00 /0:13 1×

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Nest renovation

Day 36, Here’s a clip of the nest’s constant improvements – Marge is always making little tweaks to upgrade her space. Helps keep the eggs warmer and everything nice and tidy. 0:00 /0:12 1×

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Nipping out for nibbles

Day 35, Here’s a clip of Marge popping out for a bite to eat finally stretching her wings. As for Homer... who knows where he’s flown off to this time? 0:00 /0:12 1×