European Gardening: Birds in the garden Part 2., 1 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
That's what I thought Resin, they usually have 2 to 4 don't they? The male is left to find food for them, she is around sometimes but is probably multi tasking, making a new lot.

The female came down the bank near the back door when I was there, I spoke to her asking if she wanted food. She hopped on the stem of a plant nearer to me as if to say yes, then went to get remaining scraps of food for two babies that turned up.

There is a neighbour's cat that turns up to eat any left over food, she goes for the food I put on the grass so I've had to scare her off, poor thing is getting confused. She turned up when all the young were there looking on the plate, they went but returned. The biggest one is used to me and doesn't scare easily, I had to take that pic through the window (through glass).

That poor male must be wearing himself out, he's always running. They have always gone for left over food but are very keen now, it's probably helping them raise the babies, I'm putting some out for them 2 or 3 times a day.

I noticed how he feeds the biggest one by just shoving a lump or mouthful of food in, the latest ones are smaller and probably later hatched. He was breaking the food into small pieces when he was feeding them. I got a shot after 3 of them went leaving a small one, he carefully places it down the throat. A little blurred but it's not easy taking through a window in dull weather.