the dream is over
Yes dear reader, the dream is over. I checked site yesterday and there are no young, just two adults. One of them aimlessly feeding, one of them standing on the nest and looking down through its legs, clucking away and expecting the little bald pates to appear from underneath it. They don’t, and won’t.
Now, one could anthropomorphise this whole situation, and if you did you would be sad because the Coots put in the effort to produce the eggs and one didn’t hatch, one nearly did, three did hatch but one chick didn’t last long. The two that were left were getting nicely plump just before they were eaten. If however, you don’t anthropomorphise the situation you will be glad to know that there is a Kestrel chick nearby with a nice fat stomach, full of Coot. Yummy.
With the loss of this nest, the birding interest on the patch is well and truly grinding to a summery halt.
Moths then.
Damselflies for sure.
Bugs if necessary.
Gulls anyone?
A Gull doing suddenly very interesting again.
2 comments:
Oh, I'm sad to hear this. I liked following those coots with you.
Come on Mr Coots, there must be masses of botany to be done in a lovely riverside location like that. Get sorting out all those confusing little Crucifers, you will have loads of escapes and weird stuff brought into the docks in sacks of kapok and the like.
Botanical heaven!
Trouble is, you have nothing to do from October to April. Unless, that is, you fancy surveying conifers, monkey=puzzles etc.
i reckon moss twitching is the way forward, with lichens available for posher folk.
botanise on!
best wishes from Ray
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