Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Defending the Family


There are newly-hatched chicks everywhere out on the moors at the moment and different birds have their own particular strategies for deflecting attention from their offspring.




This pair of grouse, which we encountered on the moors above Blanchland in Northumberland yesterday, just stood on the wall a few feet away from us, hoping that we'd look at them rather than search for their chicks, but...


....the curlews went for the hysterical approach, filling the valley with their alarm calls that at times sounded almost like dogs yelping. It's a stressful time for these avian parents at present.

3 comments:

  1. Nice to visit you again today. Here we have lots of pheasants running around - tis the season! Jack

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  2. Thanks for visiting Jack. Some of the flowers in your garden are a little ahead of mine. My peonies aren't in flower yet but the solomon's seal is...

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  3. Lovely bird pictures, Phil. I heard your BBC programme about Teesdale some time ago. if you have a minute could you put a comment on my blog to remind me where you went for sundews.

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