Nightingales in November (40 page)

Early July should also see the second brood of fledged Robins receiving their final life lessons before branching out on their own. Providing their parents haven't opted for a third brood, the chicks from this second clutch will have had the benefit of both parents' attention in helping briefly to cushion them from the harsh realities of life while they learn the skills
necessary for surviving on their own. After just three weeks following their parents' lead, the young are considered as ready as ever, and with little or no ceremony simply disperse into the countryside to prepare for the difficult times ahead. The departure of the young will trigger a number of changes in the adults. Firstly the pair will kick-start their annual moult, a slow process which may well take up to eight weeks as feathers worn down by the rigours of the breeding season, exposure to ultraviolet light and the attentions of parasites are replaced. During the moult, the strict territoriality which had been in place since the previous autumn will also break down. Not needing to hold a territory will render the Robin's song redundant with the knock-on effect that July and August are the only months of the year when town and country are devoid of their beautiful songs. In contrast to the rest of the year, when Robins will be both loud and visible, this vulnerable period will find them keeping mostly hidden away in the undergrowth as they concentrate on finding sufficient food to power the growth of their replacement feathers. Becoming antisocial once again, any remaining pair bonds quickly dissolve as each bird returns to splendid isolation.

While the adult Robins retire from public view it's quite a different scenario for any Swallows intent on laying their second clutch. For those pairs successfully raising a first brood, it's highly likely that they'll have an ‘if it ain't broke, don't fix it' attitude towards their relationship and will stay together for the rest of the breeding season. But matrimonial strife, brought on by the first clutch failing, can often result in the pair opting instead for a quick divorce to try their luck elsewhere. Clutch size is thought to be lower for second broods as the amount of daylight available for feeding slowly declines, but the number of eggs can also be influenced by the condition and experience of the female. When the clutch
is completed, it will once again be the female's responsibility to incubate the eggs through to hatching while the male bides his time in preparation for the new arrivals.

Any fish observed being carried back to the nest-bank and down the tunnel will be a sure-fire sign that the second clutch of Kingfisher chicks will have finally hatched out in their dark and gloomy, but well protected, chamber. The first small fish initially brought in will then be carefully placed head first down the gape of the naked and blind chicks as they digest the first of many similar meals over the course of the following 24 or 25 days.

Having already departed our shores on their long migration back to the Congolian rainforests, by early July the male British-breeding Cuckoos will have dispersed in a wide arc across Europe. Despite the BTO's satellite-tracked Cuckoos being reported at this stage from a whole host of countries right across Europe, there are already early signs indicating a split between those Cuckoos that are opting for the more westerly flyway through Spain, and other individuals that are planning to take the far more central European migratory route through Germany and Italy. Irrespective of the direction chosen, presumably experience will also play a key part in the birds' survival as any seasoned campaigners link up with those rich feeding sites familiar from previous migrations. The Cuckoos' mission at this time of year is quite simple – to stock up as well and as quickly as possible before heading south across the Mediterranean Sea, crossing most, if not all, of the Sahara Desert in one fell swoop.

Thousands of kilometres away in Britain, and after around 17 days spent dining in its host's nest, and a similar period
begging from its hoodwinked foster parents, the Cuckoo youngster should by now be on the threshold of independence. Leaving its hosts to rescue what remains of their breeding season, the young Cuckoo will then begin seeking out hairy caterpillars, which also happened to be the food of choice of its parents earlier in the summer. With the young Cuckoos only just learning to feed themselves, it's remarkable to think that their errant parents will have already departed for the continent, leaving the chicks they never met to begin their long migration alone down to their wintering grounds in the heart of Africa.

Mid-July

After little more than two weeks on a diet of berries and mashed up insects, the young Waxwings will be already be raring to sample the delights of the taiga in summertime. They will fledge looking remarkably inconspicuous and with only a hint of the crest, black bandit's mask and pinkish coloration so distinctive of their parents. Fluttering out one by one, the young are initially barely able to fly, and so will need to stay close to their parents for a further two weeks until the power of flight has been mastered, they have learnt the best locations for feeding and become proficient in the most effective techniques for catching insects. Sitting almost astride the Arctic Circle, the city of Rovaniemi is the commercial capital of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland, and will certainly have a healthy population of Waxwings breeding in its surrounding forests. At this time of year, the average daily temperature in Rovaniemi will reach an annual high of around 15°C with daylight virtually around the clock. These conditions should enable Waxwing families to have plenty of time and opportunity to feed well before the slow and inexorable
descent towards winter eventually forces them off their breeding grounds and to a more benign climate further south.

Even further north than Rovaniemi, on the Russian tundra those Bewick's Swans with recently hatched chicks will be keen for their brood to leave the nest for the relative sanctuary of nearby water as soon as possible. The instant the family unit can become mobile the cygnets' survival prospects will be hugely enhanced, as being on water will instantly offer more protection from most land-based predators, while the broken terrain away from the nest should also offer more opportunities to remain safely hidden were danger to beckon. Unlike Mute Swans, the recently hatched cygnets will not ride on their parents' backs and are still brooded regularly at night and during inclement weather. The parental duties will also be split at this stage, with the job of brooding the young largely falling to the female, while her mate's responsibility is to keep a constant lookout for predators such as Arctic Foxes. If a fox does approach too closely, the male should be able to use his size, bulk and aggression to drive away most unwanted attention, but irrespective of the male's attentiveness, a number of young will inevitably be predated early on. Upon leaving the nest the cygnets are totally capable of feeding themselves; however, when very young they will still have to rely on at least some help from their parents with the collection of any food simply out of reach. Many bird species will dissolve the family ties not long after their young fledge, but this isn't the case with Bewick's Swans, as the bond will only continue to grow stronger between the young and their parents as the season progresses. In fact, so pronounced is this familial affiliation that those youngsters successfully managing to fledge from the tundra will, in all likelihood, stay together
with their parents through the subsequent winter right up to spring the following year.

Fed on a constant stream of fish, the Puffling will have grown considerably since it hatched around a month ago and will also have managed to shed much of its down to reveal a sleek plumage not dissimilar to its parents. Its upper surface should by now be a matt black, with a clean white underside, and charcoal-coloured cheeks topped off by a thin, dark bill. It will also have upped its exercise regime in preparation for its life at sea, as countless hours will now be devoted to preening, scratching and flapping. When close to fledging the Pufflings will suddenly begin venturing to the burrow's entrance in the evening to exercise their wings and learn the visual cues they will need if and when they return as adults. On these brief forays which will take them to the very threshold of the big, wide world they need to be incredibly wary of any lurking predators keen for an easy, defenceless meal, and so look almost nervous before disappearing back down below to the sanctuary of the burrow.