The garden is full of babies! The bird feeders are besieged by young great tits, at least 10 at once, and blue tits and chaffinches, after the peanuts and fat balls. There are baby pied wagtails, from the ivy on the front wall and wrens have a nest on the garage door mechanism and shout at the cat whenever he appears.
The door is never closed, because the swallows nest in there, on the high beams. The babies fledged 3 days ago and have been taking their first dips in the pond for a drink and a wash, a delight to watch while I was fighting ground elder nearby They don't approve of rain though, a shower yesterday had 4 of them sitting in a row in the back gutter, sheltering under the stone roof edge!
There are several broods of blackbirds, with their parents fussing wherever you walk and the robins have a nest somewhere, though not sure exactly where, and are busy feeding their youngsters. There are two good broods from our resident mallard pairs, almost independent now, but they wait, with necks upstretched, under the feeders for scattered seed.
There are baby rabbits too, closer to the house than ever before. The cat doesn't bother the birds, he knows it upsets me, but he is partial to a rabbit dinner and has caught several so far. I have mixed feelings as I don't want rabbits in my garden, but don't like things being killed. He won't go far from the house (he is 17!) and we have 2 warrens out on the sheep field, so those will carry on as usual, they must have been doing well to have got so close.
Why is it that at fledging time I get adult sparrows down the chimney? Two in 2 days and no doubt more to come. Easy enough to deal with once they make it into the log burner. Just open the door and let them fly out of the window.
However, the starling that got stuck down the CH flue was another matter. We had to dismantle the elbow to get that one out.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
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There at Wild Ken we saw a fluster of long tailed tits - maybe 30 together, floofing from tree to tree. So adorable.
However, the starling that got stuck down the CH flue was another matter. We had to dismantle the elbow to get that one out.