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Thank you, Mr Lusk, for this forum category. I just bumped into a website that I really got a kick out of and wanted to share; not truly pond stuff, but kinda close in a nature way.
Whilst perusing a bird forum, I hit on this link of current events. I really appreciate a website created by a fanatic. This one qualifies. The videos take it over the top...a must see, in my eyes. The first egg just popped 3 days ago. TURN UP THE SPEAKERS.
Blue Tit family expansion

What great videao. Here's some trivia about what we're seeing.

Tits are the European counterparts to what we call Chickadees. Of course, the names "Blue Tits" and "Great Tits" inspire many visions by most Americans.

As you look at the baby, you'll notice a mouth ring that helps the parents see where to put the food. In these chicks, it is a light cream color. There are so many variations in these mouth markings that many species can be identified just by their mouth markings. Not only are there differences in the shapes and sizes in mouth markings but also in color. Some species have bright blue spots around their mouths!

This baby is begging with its head straight up like our American Robin does. A group of birds called Estrilid finches have babies that beg with their heads turned sideways. They get the job done but it's amusing to watch.

It can take much longer for an egg to hatch than I would have thought. I used to think that the egg just cracked and the baby popped out. But I've seen many small babies like this take 2-3 hours to get out of their shell. Sometimes the parents help and sometimes they don't.

It really is a fun process to watch. I wish every kid could see it.

Brettski,

Great film clips! I absolutely adore birds. I always keep my little Audubon Field Guide handy to help identify every bird I run across.

Norm,

I noticed that when both adult tits were in the nest carrying insects, one of them was stimulated to display begging behavior. The feeding and begging behavior is very strong. I once saw film of a red koi being fed by a cardinal. That fish really had it made!

When I was a kid we ran 2 incubators and hatched chickens, ducks, and/or quail every year. Getting out of the shell is indeed a lengthy and exhausting process for baby birds. Envision being cramped up in a space so small you have almost no room to move and having to chop your way out with a soft-edged hatchet while having what must be no muscle tone.

It was a struggle for several years to get yield rates up above 50% and I don't think we ever reached 75%. Temperature and humidity and egg turning (3 times a day, to prevent malformed limbs and who knows what other problems) have to be exact and regular; chickens must be geniuses not to be extinct. Then you have to realize that there is a "hatching window" to hold the eggs to; we ended up shutting off the incubator about 36 hours after the first chicks hatched because any chicks that emerged after that time had problems that caused them to be inviable in addition to late.

Disclaimer: Brettski MADE me post this here.

A English sparrow and a European starling go into a bar. As they sit
there drinking their drinks, the bartender notices they are not talking
to one another. They each order another drink, continuing to not talk
while they sip their drinks. Finally, after a very long silence, the
bartender says, "Excuse me, but have you two been introduced?

uuhhgg

A pair of House Finches took up residence on a downspout at Cindy's house. I was a little surprised because there is a lot of human/canine/feline activity in that screened area.

Here's Mom & Dad.


Here's the chicks, taken today.


I'll leave them alone now, but I wanted one pic.

Those are aves non grata on my property. I try to never miss an opportunity to "shoo" them away.

I hadn't really taken alot of time in the website. I didn't realize that there was a web page listing the days of development. It appears that the website is updated daily, so I changed the link on my first post. I'll post it here, also.
Blue Tit family expansion daily updates

At my place we have buntings. The males are a mix of yellow, red, blue, purple and a couple more colors. The females are a dull green. They are extremely shy and I have never been able to get a picture. At one time, pre-squirrel, I put a feeder about 15 ft. from my front door. If I even went to the door and looked out, they flew away. Then I put a piece of plywood up that hid the ground. They came in and fed freely as long as we couldn't see each other. I have never seen a nest.