Success and failure

      The time of year when the birds are nesting, incubating their eggs and bringing up their young is a time of success for some and tragedy for others.
      We had two doves who built their nest just where the electricity comes into the house under eaves above a bracing plate, a location that seemed to all purposes dry and secure but while they were sitting Mr and Mrs Magpie came and ate the eggs or young, they're partial to both. The magpies were lucky this time because I didn't see them raiding and pillaging the nest all I found were the broken eggs underneath. Next time the .17 will come out and the magpies will be 'sorted out'.
      Meanwhile in one of the old farm buildings that we pass on the walks a pair of song thrushes have built a nest and the young have already flown, then we saw the parents feeding the fledglings a feast of snails one morning during the weekend.
      I'll put that one down as a success.