It amazes me how quickly swallow chicks grow. From their heads just popping above the nest last week, I was greeted with a frenzy of chirping from the nest cup this week and huge faces with vibrant gapes! I still look at these tiny birds each week and stand amazed at how such a small bird can make a journey to Africa in just a few months. The insect life at Yew View is incredible, so these swallow parents are in and out of the nest cup every couple of minutes, beaks crammed with invertebrate goodies! It is not surprising really that these chicks double their size on a weekly basis.
I lifted a few few clips to show how much they have grown this week…
Next week, they will be almost ready to fledge and join their parents soaring over the grounds at Yew View, building up strength and flying skills ready for their epic trip.
We also had a stock dove chick hatch this week. I just hope the Tawny doesn’t reappear to take advantage like it did with the jackdaws that hatched here.
The Kingfishers have been taking advantage of the sticklebacks in the wildlife pond and I have only recorded them catching these. Last year, they ate a lot of dragonfly nymphs but I have not seen them catch any this year yet.
Finally, I noticed a rather thin badger on site this week. Recorded on the cameras, it looks dangerously emancipated. This won’t be because of a lack of food. May be it is a very old or ill individual…
I hope this individual recovers and gains weight again… I will be watching out for it on the cameras on site.
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