Trauma for the swallows nesting in the roof of the garage - a few days back their nest fell from the rafters leaving three dazed and confused chicks on the ground, and two very anxious parents continuing to fed and protect them. How they avoided being eaten by the cat I cannot imagine. They were at least close to fledging, and could fly about at ground level, but were unable to get themselves up to any kind of real safety. So there they stayed, huddled together wide eyed in the middle of the floor, madly cheeping with gaping mouths whenever the adults returned. It was actually rather wonderful to be working away building my shaving horse (for holding a piece of wood so I can sit and shape it with a drawknife) while watching these beautiful and rather helpless chicks being fed by two spectacularly acrobatic parents.
I last saw them two days ago sitting on the branches of a birch tree away up the garden, so I assume all is well and they are now fully fledged.
A red squirrel was bounding from tree to tree just by the house yesterday, a deer was outside the front door as I went out this morning, and rabbits are advancing on the vegetable garden, so it feels like the wildlife is closing in just now, some more welcome than others...
