Rat is dead . . .Blackbird chicks start to hatch (4th attempt at a brood) Day 1

Today was the day I had marked in my spreadsheet for the 3 eggs to start hatching (at this point the rat had still been around the garden but had not been up in the nest the past two weeks. Checked the nestcam this morning and the transformer had broken :( So went to the garden to check the nest after the parents had left for while and found the first chick had hatched. I then noticed that the rat was dead on the lawn! Such a relief - the chicks have a chance. No idea what had killed the rat. I hadn't put poison out only traps, so maybe a cat got it. Assuming no other rat family members, the chicks (3 eggs) have a chance this time of making it through the next two weeks. Went and got a new transformer from Maplin, so up and running on the nestcam again and this is Day 1 for the first chick! :) .... well pleased. Other recordings will probably start from Day 8 (from where the previous brood finished).