3 posts tagged “houselight family”
This was a few days ago, atop the street light in front of my house, and it reminded me straight away of this scene from Birdy:
BTW, the nest next door remains empty, and Tom is still on his own, although he remains ever hoo-hoo-hopeful.
He hangs around the usual places (except for the nest), hoo-hoo-ing hopefully (he's up on across-the-street's TV aerial at the moment, watching me type this). But it looks like she's gone, and for whatever reason, she isn't coming back.
Earlier today, a sparrow was checking out the nest over next-door's halogen light. (I guess that's what you call an opportune-nest [ducks]). Ironically, the house has just been re-let - the previous tenants moved out last week.
FWIW, here's the last photo I have of the two of them together.
Those of you with long memories will remember I have a bit of a soft spot for the little birdbrains who took up residence in my neighbours' garden light fitting. Last time, they had just finished rearing their third brood and were making a start (ahem!) on number four.
Well. Hard to know exactly what happened, but everything seemed to be going fine, Tom and Danni (the parents) changed on schedule from merely sitting on the nest to actively tending something... until one day a couple of weeks into September when the nest was empty and neither parent showed any interest.
I suspect the magpies.
Interestingly, a few days later, a gang of collared doves - four or five, came screaming in and landed in the tree where the magpie nest was. A couple went in while the rest stayed in the top; a few seconds later, two magpies came flapping out in a bit of a panic and flew off.
It looked for all the world like the doves had got a few mates round to give the magpies a bit of a kicking. They might be small and lovey-dovey, but they can be pretty fierce.
I thought that might be that for the year - mid September, after all, days shortening, leaves turning, temperatures falling. But no, they were back on the nest, and in due course, just as the temperature dropped a few more degrees, two more little heads appeared.
Obviously, the sight of a young brood so late in the season has even the local sparrows and starlings intrigued...
It might be cold, but there's obviously lots of food around - nuts, berries, insects - and the parents were keeping extra busy to keep the meals coming in, as well as having to spend extra time warming the littluns up.
That was a couple of days ago, with the sun low in the west even at four in the afternoon. Quick in, feed, and out again.
The youngsters - I think we've reached Roy and Raymond in the Beagle Scouts pantheon - seem smaller and more fully fledged than their siblings were at the same age. Probably just as well, really.
Yesterday lunchtime, though, and...
No babies in the nest.
No babies in the garden.
This does not look good.
Tom, Danni, and one of the kids.
Raymond (how do I know? I just do), of course, had only one thing on his mind.
