Chick Blip

Well it's been like Springwatch outside our back door today, but without the dumbing down and the banal interactions, just the birds. To be precise, one bird and his mum. Yesterday's chick survived a second night out of the nest and has spent the day giving us the runaround. At breakfast he was ensconced in a nest made out of aubretia, rather too close to Speedo, the neighbour's cat, for my liking. A couple of hours later he had traversed the shrubbery (impressive distance for such a little guy!) and was hiding beneath the lupins. Mum meanwhile was showing once again what a good parent she is. I do believe she knows not to be afraid of me as she will come within a couple of metres. She watched me fill up the fat container for the tree then as I shinned up it, she cleared up the bits of fat I had dropped and fed them to chick. Once down from the tree, she went up it and took more fat from the feeder.

We have been out tonight to Thai Sakon in Huddersfield to celebrate Jen's birthday which will happen when we are away. The food, service and company all excellent! On our return the chick appears to be settling down for the night under the lupins, mum still feeding as the night draws in. Will s/he still be there in the morning? Watch this space for the next instalment of Summer Watch!

More photos of today's nature in action can be seen here!