B E B E R E

Sometimes it's hard for us to remember, being as high on food chain that we are, that it's an incredibly brutal world out there for the little guys. The yard is pretty safe, with lots of high branches and places to hide. There are a few predators out there, though: namely squirrels. A small black and white cat (strangely frightened of people) has been seen prowling around as well.

The other day, Pavel found one of the fledglings on the ground, stomach split open and innards strewn about on the patio. He put the remains on the compost pile so that the poor thing could come back as a sunflower or something. Such a sad little thing it was, but also a reminder of why some birds give birth to so many over the course of the Spring and Summer.