For a day or so the newly hatched chicks are fed on the nest
with a parent brooding them (keeping them warm) most of the
time.Moorhens - Raising the Brood
For a day or so the newly hatched chicks are fed on the nest
with a parent brooding them (keeping them warm) most of the
time.
But they soon venture out onto the water. The rail family
(moorhens, Coots etc.) feed their young rather than just
leading them to where food is in the manner of ducks.
From now on there is an endless procession of the 'minor'
inhabitants of the pond and it surroundings brought to fill the
ever demanding beaks.
Here you can see the morsal presented is some sort of
damselfly. If it will fit in the beak they are offered it.
They get fed in the water, on the banks, on this 'island'
(actually this is a pot grown set of 3 willows we
installed to encourage nesting - with no effect
whatsoever - but it is one of their favourite 'sitting'
places). The summer air is full of the 'peeps' of hungry
chicks.
We love the 'wrap your head round the willow wand' style of the photo.
Moorhen are very unusual in having the offspring of a previous brood
help in raising the next. Here we have a juvenile feeding the next
generation. They are not as good at it as their parents, and offer things
like corn grains by mistake. The Chicks just know to refuse them and
eventually get offered something suitably squishy.