Hunger, Life, Death and Woodpeckers.

Following the funeral of an old and dear friend, I was sitting in quiet contemplation in my garden at about 7pm with a large scotch watching a Green Woodpecker flying to and fro feeding her young in the old Copper Beech that we left for wildlife. The chicks were constantly screeching for more. Suddenly, with a squark, a chick fell from the nest hole. What to do? I wondered of the mother would find it and continue to feed it but no, she carried on filling the remaining 3 beaks at the entrance to the nest so I went to investigate.

I found the poor chick cowering in the undergrowth from which, 20 minutes earlier, I had seen a large cat emerge.

I got my ladder and tried to return the chick to the nest hole but the other chicks, one particularly large, were having none of it. Obviously it was the runt of the litter and lost the battle.

OK, so where do worms go at 9pm? I found some insects but the chick was obviously not old enough to take food except from it's mum.

I am now panic stricken as the foster parent of another juvenile when our own have only recently flown the nest. I tried again to put it back but once again the gang of 3 defeated me. I tried putting it on the grass so that Mum could see and hear it, but she ignored it and when I walked back the chick climbed into my hands. I thought 'love' but suspect 'warmth'.
There are other abandoned nest holes from previous years. I thought Mum may just find and feed it so, back up the ladder.

It was now 10pm and I managed to get the chick into the nest hole and left a pile of mealy worms (don't ask why I have mealy worms!) in the hope that either the chick would eat or they would attract the mother.

I rushed out this morning to check if the chick was still alive but it was gone. Nothing in the hole, nothing in the undergrowth. It's a mystery!
Bloody Magpies! Must get my air-rifle out.