Holiday day 3
Buzzards circling above, too high for a photo. A mouse scampered under the window and the squirrel revisits the tree. A fledgling robin, his red breast just starting to develop joins us.
Robin ( Erithacus rubecula ) Breeds in woods and copes with plenty of undergrowth. Found in hedges, mature gardens, parks and open country. Starts to nest in late March. Nests are built by the female and is made from leaves, moss and grass. The 4-5 eggs are incubated by the female for 15 days. Both parents feed the young for another 13 days. Unless the female starts another brood. Young become independent 16-24 days. There are 2-3 broods.
A blue tit hangs on the outside of the cottage while swallows show off their flying skills until dusk when bats take over. A Tawny Owl flies overhead. We can hear at least 3 in the surrounding forest.
Swallows ( Hirundo rustica) Most of their time is spent on the wing but they do land on wires or the ground.Nests in small groups in open country. Lives some of the year in Africa. Feeds on flying insects. A brood of swallows need 6000 flies in one day to survive.
