At this time of the year our garden is often full of birds as young birds fledge.
However, hardly any of them actually breed on the premises. The only ones to do so successfully are the House Sparrows. I think there are two pairs breeding under the eaves of our roof, and I am steadfastly refusing any suggestion that the paint-peeling wooden facia be replaced by the shiny plastic surrounds preferred by the majority of our neighbours.
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| Juvenile House Sparrow |
This summer we had a second species breed in the garden. A pair of Robins nested in a wicker container I had put into a bush several years ago with the intention of creating a winter roosting site for Wrens. The Robin successfully hatched their eggs, and had been feeding chicks for about a week when disaster struck and the nest was raided, possibly by a cat, early one morning.
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| The Robin before calamity struck |
In the last few days we have been seeing other juvenile birds in the garden, assumed to have fledged from nearby gardens.
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| Juvenile Blackbird |
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| Juvenile Dunnock |
These juveniles always look subtly different from their parents and can catch out unwary observers.
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