You're Gorgeous - Baby Bird

Look out of any window here at Parley Court Farm and you're sure to see either baby birds or incubating and feeding adults, it's magic. On the strength of that, it was thought a good idea to wander the property and check just what could be found  by way of procreation.

As ever there is one pair of MUTE SWAN on Parley Pond,
but the nest containing a number of eggs just a week ago at the
Manor House Pool has now been abandoned and the eggs are gone?

Staying at the pond and soon the recently hatched
MOORHEN chicks emerge from the sedges.

There are Coot here too but don't seem to be in breeding mode.

Not surprisingly MALLARD also produce 'many' ducklings, but mortality rate is high. Apart from the ever attendant Carrion Crows a number of Pike have been caught from the watercourse recently, one hitting the scales at 9.5lb, which are released to the River Stour, so this also doesn't help.

In the stable yard this morning a PIED WAGTAIL was
capture busily nest building, while

HOUSE MARTINs

were commuting from there to the Manor House

with bills loaded with building material.

The Tudor Cottage Pond also has it's quota of MALLARD chicks
which will be monitored to see how many survive to
growing process.

A 'while' BLUEBELL was of interest on the way to the next site
where Janet had reported more nesting activity.

This vehicle is a redundant Horse Box, these days used to transport and store hay for the owners horses. Early this week they towed it to Ringwood, just a few miles away, to pick up a consignment of feed. On their return they noticed a Robin disappearing into the spare wheel,

and there within found a nest with a number of young birds, totally
unaffected by the short tour. The closed 'gapes' can just be seen.

Sticking to the same theme, close by are the stables where 3 horses are accommodated and their tack hung in the covered area. Here too a pair of ROBINs have taken up residence in a 'nose-bag'.

Here the sitting bird can be seen and as it always flies
away when the ladies rig the horses for a morning ride,

the opportunity was taken to photograph the eggs.

Another small diversion were the GOATs which always attract me

as they are 'pets' and live a life of Riley.

As noted last week the ROOKs continue to tend there young,

while a number of 'squabs' young WOOD PIGEONs have
mature to 'flying' from this nest.

BARN SWALLOW
are nesting in just every out-building on the property

but this pair seem to be a little confused as this is a 'Garage'!

HOUSE SPARROW