Easter chicks... really!

Happy Easter, early this year!

Our children were out and about around the garden this morning, early, 7.30am, collecting Easter Eggs left by the bunny...  so it's been a long day.

I have been observing the progress of the robin and her chicks.  They're now 9 days old, and it's very difficult to take a photo of them.

For the past few days the parent has been mostly absent, in as much as there's less room for parent to sit as the chicks are growing larger, and as the chicks are growing larger, the parent has to keep them fed.... I did get a shot of Robin with beak full of something wholesome:

yum yum, what's that then Mum?

When I looked at this next image on my compact digital camera (Panasonic Lumix), I thought I'd not got anything  exciting, but it seems I was wrong...  lovely fluff and baby robin beaks - honest.

Well, as the parent is now often 'away' (busy foraging), I noticed that they're responding wide-mouthed when the kitchen door bangs (!) and also sometimes if I make a 'tch tut tch' sound.  Which was how I managed to get this shot:

So, sorry for the blurr, but I didn't hang around to get the photo this morning, and I'm very careful to beat the retreat after inspection!  Happy to confirm that on Friday this week (1 week since hatching) we did observe 5 beaks, which indicates they're all still thriving, and that they must be keeping each other warm. I assume the parent still keeps them warm at night as the temperature does drop somewhat.

I'll tell you all more about our new hens as well next time.  Need to take and upload photos of them first!

TTFN  thanks for reading and keep it sweet!  Kat