| Thurs. 26th and having just taken a quick look at lunchtime progress, which suggests everything is currently O.K., I am nevertheless reminded of the sad conclusion to a similar nesting saga 2 years ago. All appeared to be maturing satisfactorily and they were in fact closer to flying the nest than the current brood, being that much bigger. However, one of the parent birds just stopped attending to the chicks and the remaining bird was left to handle things on their own. It all became too much of a burden - the constant to and fro seeking food for the little ones - and this other bird gave up on the nest too. The few remaining chicks sadly died overnight. The experience illustrated that not only is nature wonderful, but it can also be extremely brutal. |