Moorhen chick

marmo242 · #1 (**permalink**) 14-02-2009, 03:25 PM

Yesterday we travelled south on the M6 and stopped at Stafford services. Apart from many rabbits with youngsters we saw a moorhen with a chick, being fed.

Given the awful start to the year we were amazed to see a chick which had clearly survived the recent low temperatures.

Are other people seeing chicks as well?

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 14-02-2009, 03:56 PM

A juvenile?! I had no idea the parents continued feeding the young this long

!!

By this point last year's young are reaching sexual maturity, so fairly adult-looking or so I thought.

Interesting, thanks for posting Marmo

Sue2 · #3 (**permalink**) 14-02-2009, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marmo242

[font="Arial"] we saw a moorhen with a chick, being fed.

Hi marmo, do you mean a chick about the size of a chicken's chick, at least just a quarter of the size of an adult moorhen? If so, it's very early indeed as they are mostly seen between March & April. If you're right then have a word with your local bird recorder and tell him of your sighting.

marmo242 · #4 (**permalink**) 15-02-2009, 02:17 PM

Thanks for your response.
The adult Moorhen crossed the car park and came up to us as if to ask for food. The chick's body was very fluffy and about the size of a tennis ball with the biggest feet we have ever seen on a chick! It eventually came over to join its parent. They both went through the hedge bottom, the parent found something in the grass and gave it to the chick. This was a young chick, very fluffy. The only theory that we could come up with is that the pond by the service area is going to be slightly warmer than ponds in open country and maybe this is why it has survived. We have notified Staffs WIldlife Trust to which we belong.

Sue2 · #5 (**permalink**) 15-02-2009, 11:04 PM

Thanks marmo, with your full description there it has to be one of this year's youngsters, maybe being the only one that has so far survived the bitter weather we have had. You're most likely right with your thoughts about it being from the pond of the service area and it being a bit warmer, hand-outs from kindly people will have helped too.

Good to see you've informed the SWT. There are none here at all ....yet.