Family Matters

For many of our feathered friends their first brood has already been hatched and is being readied for the wide world. For some that process can be short, with the juveniles being left largely to find things out for themselves. For others the process can last months with parents investing a significant amount of time and effort in trying to be successful. During my visit to Tophill this week I found examples of both.

A female Barn Owl watching over her brood

The male Barn Owl busy on a hunt

No success in Hempholme Meadows, so on to the next field

A hungry Black-Head Gull chick following a parent

A solitary juvenile Carrion Crow looking for titbits

LTT juvenile lagging behind the rest of the tribe

Female Mallard with a sizeable gaggle of ducklings

Mute Swans on Watton with just three cygnets

A juvenile Willow Warbler trailing its parent in search of food