These four found each other in the forest and were hanging out together. When it comes closer to the time when they are expecting the parents home they drift towards their nest site so that they don't miss the arrival of a parent and feeding.

This cheeky chick is raised by Eire and Noelyn and it makes us crawl through all sorts of bushes to not just find it but to give it a health check up, including taking blood to see if it has Avian Malaria (all clear). On this occasion a photo was all that was needed.

The chicks are adventurous and McCormick who was being raised in Spitfire Rise by Ewan and Shannon has wandered to their old box from last season and is hanging there now

We now have six chicks in rehab, including Sonic and Rubik whose mother Molly had given up but reappeared fortunately. Here is a short video of the chicks in care:
The first is Bequette's chick (who got lost for a week wandering far from the nest - we were very worried)
Jet is next (had a small injury and fell behind)
together with a chick that stopped putting on weight.
The next two together are Sonic and Rubik.
Last but not least is a chick (ear-marked for sponsorship but not named just yet) that was diagnosed with Malaria in our blood test we are doing on all chicks now. (All other chicks so far have been negative, we have been treating them weekly prophylactically since they reached 1kg but clearly this one needed a proper course of anti-Malaria meds! It'll be fine.)

Even as one of our youngest chicks, this newly sponsored chick is starting to show a white belly. Food must be good as a parent is still at home with Pontus even now in January!