Survival of the Fittest

One of the smaller young blue tits has been begging for food from the adults less and less over the last few days and looked really lethargic. Sadly, it has now died leaving its five siblings. The other small young bird has, however, been vigorously trying to obtain food from its parents and seems to be doing fine. The four larger nestlings are now as big as the parent birds and the largest is a real "bully" spreading its wings and trying to sit on top of the other birds so that it is usually the first to obtain food that the adults bring in. Wings are being exercised more and more as they flutter round the nest box and they are starting to reach up towards the entrance hole especially when they sense a parent is about to enter the box. Woodie is still visiting the feeders and taking away beakfuls of fat, presumably to feed his own young, but thankfully I haven't seen him trying to access the blue tit nest box recently.

Despite the rain over the last few days, the wren's nest has survived and she is regularly flying into the nest box with food. I can't see inside the nest so am not sure how many nestlings are inside.