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[Taz2]

It was lovely - he was a big, burly lorry driver but had such a feel for nature and the countryside in general.

I have sad news though as my baby wood pigeons were dead in the nest yesterday. They were really small. One of the parents seemed to disappear two days ago and the final one was pulling them up in his/her beak yesterday morning and finally decided that there was no point and flew off not to return. Needless to say the nest is empty this morning. They put such a lot of effort into raising their young. Up to ten days to make the nest which although it looks quite insubstantial is actually woven by the female pigeon from twigs brought to her by the male and woe betide if brings the wrong size one - that soon gets thrown over the edge and she does the equivalent of folding her arms and giving him a beady stare. Then its two weeks incubating the eggs following be a month feeding them in the nest. One day when they are fully fledged both parents just fly off and dont come back. The young sit there for a couple of hours and in the end hunger drives them to try their wings and off they go. That's why people reckon they never see baby pigeons - it's because they are not parented once out of the nest.

Sorry I am waffling on.

Taz x 

[CLKD]

Taz Nature is cruel  . 

[Taz2]

The weather hasn't helped.

Taz x

[purplenanny]

Taz2, you waffle on all you like, it is so interesting.

Sorry for the loss of baby wood pigeons

Purplenanny x x

[Taz2]

That's ok - I don't get too upset nowadays as it happens most years. They normally nest three or four times in my tree and only one lot are successful. They keep on trying though, bless 'em!

Taz x

[ariadne]

  Oh that brought a tear to my eyes. Poor baby pigeons... the ones that died and all baby pigeons whose parents dont come back! I never knew that.

ariadne xx

[CLKD]

They will have another brood hopefully.  With all the rain, despite there being a 'drought', it's surprising anything survives!

[saladgirl]

I have raken up with watching the live webcam of a baby puffin on ~Shetland - he(or she) hatched less than a week ago!!!  It is soooo charming and I find it relaxing --give it a try I am sure you wont be disappointed - jus t go to shetland webcams and it is there

[Bette]

Saw a hedgehog in the garden earlier. Seemed happy enough, lively, not thin and was rooting in the lawn and eating whatever he/she had dug up. However, I know that seeing them in the daytime is meant to be a bad thing - should I do anything if I see it again? 
Bette x

[CLKD]

Nope.  Watch and wait.  It's probably all the rain, bringing up what he/she needs to eat plus a little sunshine to warm it through.  I haven't seen any sign of ours recently.  I have found 8 tadpoles hiding in the pond though 

[Taz2]

Any hedgie that is out in daylight is ill in some way. They get lots of different diseases - loads of lungworm around at the moment for instance. It would be a good idea if you look up your local wildlife rescue people and then, if you see it again, use a towel and pick it up. Put it in a secure box - they are excellent at escaping, and get in touch with your local group. This is a good site http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/FAQS/first_aid.htm

Taz x

[Bette]

Thanks Taz. We saw it trotting across a neighbour's lawn early this evening so I'll keep an eye out for it. Meantime, I'll ring the nearest rescue centre tomorrow morning and ask them for advice.
Bette x

[Greyhoundgal]

Well. our baby blackbird has flown it's nest in the honeysuckle tree and the nest has now been taken over by a tiny, baby sparrow.  I'm not sure if the parents are around as we've only seen the chick, it can barely fly but flutters down once in a while and has a hop around the garden.  I've been leaving some bird feed just under the tree so it doesn't have to go too far, lots of our neighbours have cats.

[Taz2]

Hope it makes it greyhound gal. Was there only one blackbird? It wont have flown the nest as they are removed by the parents about two weeks before they can fly. The parents park their young in bushes and continue to feed them until they have grown their flight feathers and tails. It is a strange system!

Taz x

[Pennyfarthing]

My House Martins returned over the weekend!   They are very late this year - I must look up in last year's diary.   I always love it when they come back - they start building straight away on our gable end and I love to hear them chattering away.