Well, it is the time of year for many of these birds!

It's not of course a duck - always look for signs of webbed feet - but a young wood pigeon. They are often mistaken due to the seemingly very long beak when young.

Alas, when nature designed these birds, they nested on the floor in the woods in a dimple or hoof-print and only a couple of twigs if anything formed the actual nest. Now, with the way humans have encroached on 'their' lives, we see often see them in gardens and parks, and sadly as casualties on our roads.

They fly low across the roads just as they would through the woods and fields - alas coming into conflict with modern traffic as in general trees don't move!

When moving into nesting in trees, the poor quality nests were carried across and unfortunately this does mean that on occasion the chicks do come out too soon.

The one pictured in this article was indeed too early, and had most likely been sitting on the very edge of the nest in the recent hot weather and simply taken a tumble. With the finder unable to find the nest to return and many cats stalking around, on this occasion it did have to come into care - though on many occasions this year young birds have been able to stay where found and people simply keeping an eye on them. Mum and Dad pigeon will feed just twice a day; first thing in the morning, and last thing at night.

Nigel