Moult

A tiny male muntjac deer is leaving scratch and sniff calling cards. He’s rubbing his horned forehead against grass and trees to leave his scent and to let other males know he’s in business.

Foxes commuting along the Cedar Walk paths.

A tawny settles onto the branches we’ve laid across the new Woodland Garden pond and bathes at dusk.

In the early morning a male sparrowhawk settles there too.

For all birds, care of their feathers is a priority.

At this time of year all birds energies go into replacing their feathers leaving them vulnerable to predators. As a consequence they ‘keep their heads down’ and are seen less-frequently.

Young birds already have a set of feathers and only undergo a partial moult.

The moult is coming to its end for most birds now and they’re reappearing at the feeders.

Juvenile robin in moult

This striking young male pheasant nervously emerged from the border yesterday. Pheasants, of course, aren’t truly ‘wild’ birds. They are released in their millions for shooting each year - poultry of the fields. When shooting ends so does their regular food supply of grain and the hungry birds disperse.

Perhaps this young male is one that was hatched and reared from the birds that escaped the guns, the foxes, the owls, the sparrowhawks ..