Trials and Tribulations for the Roof-nesting Oystercatchers !
One of the adult Oystercatchers was found dead on the ground at the back of the school a few days ago. The cause of death is not known but it left a real challenge for the remaining parent to feed and protect both chicks. When it is away collecting food on the playing fields it cannot protect the chicks from predators such a gulls. Soon after the death of the parent both chicks seemed fine but within a few days the one on the right of the picture, which was slighlty younger and smaller than the one on the right, had died - probably of starvation. In other words the single parent could not cope with providing food for both chicks and the older dominant one took the lion's share of what food was available. If there is anything good from this it is that the remaining chick is growing well (now not far off flying) and is still looked after by the one attentive parent.
Good news on Camera Box Blue Tits!
Many people have enjoyed following the Blue Tit nest in the Quad. All the chicks have fledged successfully and have left the box. On the 5th June one chick was seen by one observer doing "a lot of wing whirring" - flying practice! By the next day it was gone and by the 9th June all the chicks had fled the nest! They will be looked after outside the nest by the adults for a week or so and will then be independent. Wonder if one of them will come back to the nest box next year.
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| By Molly |
