01 September 2022
A really good day!
When I checked the nest this morning, both chicks were in the box and, excitingly, there was a young rat plus the remains of a dove in the nest with them. The chicks were rather dozy and had obviously already fed well. Better yet, the crows were off causing trouble somewhere else for most of the day and the chicks and the female experienced a more peaceful day.
This afternoon, the chicks were out on the step again enjoying the sunshine. The slightly larger chick watched me closely, and also clicked its beak at me a few times . . . but the other chick seemed completely relaxed and lay sprawled on the step. The rat had been eaten, but there was still a morsel of the dove remaining in the nest.
By Geoff Lockwood