All chicks have fledged!

Yesterday there was a lot of wing-flapping inside the bird-box and birds were all the time jumping to the opening to peek outside. They were also fed by their parents when perched in the opening.

The video below shows the situation inside the bird-box about one hour before the first bird fledged. You can see one bird jumping from the opening and going back again.

One hour before fledging

Yesterday evening around 17:00 three chicks fledged despite heavy rain (I just missed it when I was having an early dinner!)

Around 19:30 that evening, #4 and #5 also fledged. I saw it happening live.

The last two birds spent their last night in the bird-box and fledged this morning just after 7:00 within one minute of each other (also seen live)

The last two birds sleeping their last night in the bird-box

Like with previous nests, the mother still visited the empty bird-box a few times this morning just to make sure no chicks were left behind.

This nest has been the most successful to date with seven fledged chicks:

2012: 9 eggs, nest abandoned after cat attack
2013: No nest
2014: 12 eggs, 11 hatched, 3 fledged
2015: No nest
2016: 10 eggs, 10 hatched, 7 fledged

Great compliments to the dedicated parents who kept the food coming!

Chicks should be fledging soon

Here is a picture of them sleeping last night

This morning they are still all there. On the picture below they are together on the nest, triggered by an alarm call from the parents when a magpie was near the bird-box

Like yesterday, one or more chicks perch regularly in the opening of the bird-box and are fed there by their parents (as well as inside the box). I don't see the parents luring them out yet, but that should happen soon.

Alarmcall

At 0:21 in the video, the chicks hear an alarm call

After persistent alarm:

Sleeping

Their sleep is usually not very quiet and you can see the flees walking over their bodies

Wings are getting quite impressive now

Every now and then I hear a quite powerful humming noise in the bird-box when a chick is testing it's wings.

Reaction to alarm call from parents

Reaction to alarm call from parents: all flat on the nest and make no sound

Chaos with 7 young birds in one nest

It looks like the birds need a bit more space now. When will they start moving around in the box?

UPDATE: shortly after I posted this, one of the birds ventures outside the nest for the first time.