Here are some photos of a variety of chicks seen outside during the last fortnight. A first for me was seeing these shelduck chicks on the Isle of Jura. They looked like fluffy, stripey humbugs! There had been five when I first saw them. I witnessed some drama when these four came under attack from gulls. The parents fought off the gulls mid air. The chicks popped under the water and were all split up, but eventually found each other again. I could almost hear a David Attenborough commentary in my head as I watched the action unfold.
Also on Jura were these three cygnets. A few days later however they were down to one!
I was told there were six cygnets on the river in Haddington. When I saw them there were four. In the photo below three are having a leisurely ride on a parent whilst the fourth looks on.
This pink footed goose family were out and about on Jura too.
Their chicks are yellow and fawn coloured.
I was lucky to spot a couple of oystercatcher chicks on a pebble bank in the middle of the River Tweed at Melrose. They were very camouflaged amongst the creamy white pebbles.
A gull was flying low looking for a meal and whilst one oystercatcher parent sounded the alarm and chased it off the other stood over its chick.
This year the old woodpecker hole was redundant but I followed the distinctive begging calls of young chicks to find a new hole in use elsewhere.
Meanwhile in the garden the blue tit nest box is a hive of activity. We can see the parents busily zipping to and fro with grubs in their beaks and we can hear cheeps from their chicks in the box. The lid is screwed down as one year magpies raided the box by being able to wrench the lid off! It’s tempting to unscrew the lid and take a peek in, but we don’t want to disturb them. Next year we’ll need to put a wee camera in.
Sarah's Wildlife Watch 