Moorhens - The New Generation
As the youngsters get bigger they want more and bigger
items of food. The parents are worn to a frazzle from first light
to well past sunset bringing them earthworms (as in this photo)
and 'large' insects.
Growing by the day these youngsters stride determinedly after mum or dad (or sometimes a previous broods sibling) in
the never ending search for food.
This and the previous picture were taken by an automatic system that is on many 'clement' nights.
Now independent, these two juveniles are sunning themselves in the early
morning. They may stay on to help with another brood, wander off to
pastures new, or get caught by the fox.
By the end of Winter the resident pair, if both still alive, will see them off as
they develop the red and yellow beaks and black plumage of the adults.
Rather similar to human teenagers isn't it.
.
No mention of this in the 'Bird table Book'!
Although they can't get nuts out of the feeder the will mop up the chips left by clumsy birds (particularly Jackdaws and Woodpeckers).
More usually they lurk at the base of the feeder to leap on nut fragments as they rain down. 'Their' pond is in the background outside our kitchen window.