Update on the moorhen chicks
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Sadly the baby moorhens never appeared again so fell prey to the cats.
Two more hatched from a different brood but they disappeared as well. I was clearing nettles when I heard the moorhen giving a distress call and rushed to see what the problem was. There was the cat lurking close to the woodshed. Upside down in a bucket of leaves was a baby moorhen where it had bounced off the roof of the woodshed on its journey down from the beech tree where the moorhens nest. I rescued this one and another and put them at the back of the pond amongst the weeds/plants, but they are gone now.
Mother moorhen is swimming on the pond this morning so will probably try again.
Later in the evening the cat was lurking underneath one of the other beeches where there is a very noisy brood of bluetit babies in a nest box. She could obviously hear them but at the moment can’t get near the box, I dread to think what will happen when they blunder out of the box.
My life consists of chasing the cat away every time the blackbirds give a distress call, or the peacocks honk (they hate cats), then the guinea fowl join in and even our free-flying love-bird joins in with the blackbirds.
7 Jun, 2013
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Comments
Thanks Louisa. We don't have any cats around here. The previous owners had cats and it took some time for the birds to come back into the garden. We now have resident moorhens as well as loads of other birds.
This cat and another (since killed on the road) are, I think, strays or dumped! We live on a straight bit of road, minimally populated and ideal for dumping unwanted pets, which is what I think happened to these.
I feel sorry for this one, now on its own, but don't want it. I would rehome it if I could catch it as I know someone who would gladly take it in.
7 Jun, 2013
Not surprising the cat catches things if it has no-one to feed it. though some will hunt however well fed they are. I hope you manage to catch it and give it to your friend.
7 Jun, 2013
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Such a shame! Cats look so pretty but have this dark side too. I know it's their nature but I find it hard to see it:(
I no longer attract birds to my garden because the neighbourhood cats will only lie in wait for them and kill them if they can:(
7 Jun, 2013