A goldfinch

I always struggle to post at the weekends as the night shift throws me off balance. Hopefully I can get out in the next day or so with my camera, weather permitting. A cold is also hindering my efforts a little at the moment (and no it’s not swine flu) the slightest sneeze nowadays seems to result in hoards of people asking if you have swine flu. This goldfinch and its partner were making a fair amount of noise in the garden, it turned out their chick had flown the nest but was having difficulties in flying a great distance. The parents were trying to coax it up to higher ground but it ended up in next doors garden. I left them in peace to give them a chance to get the little chick to safety. About a half hour later I heard them making a renewed effort and they were quite loud. Sadly I looked out just in time to see our family cat disappearing over the wall having been alerted to the chick’s presence by the very vocal coaxing by the parents. I was quite sad to see that nature had dealt the chick a fatal blow and that my cat had been the predator, sadly it’s a stark reminder that even pets are driven by nature and instinct. I can’t be cross at him, it’s his genetics. I’m just glad the children didn’t see the final outcome first hand.