Unfortunately I have no photograph to illustrate what I’m about to describe.
Perhaps Tiberius and Agnes have been less frequent visitors to the garden recently, or it could just be that the long grasses of the orchards and paddock are providing more effective cover for them. However yesterday I spotted Agnes on top of a pile of brash that I never got around to burning in the paddock. It had rotted down nicely, making a dry, soft compost heap in the long grass. While taking a stroll with Jack I noticed that the heap was seething with little feathered shapes. Hard to count as I couldn’t get close without alarming mother and young, but I’d guesstimate about fifteen successfully hatched offspring. There’s an Agnes-sized hole burrowed into the compost, and so the clever bird has managed a ground nest with some effective cover. I’m very glad now that I never got around to burning the brash!
I suppose that few of the young will make it through to adulthood, but my goodness our Agnes has given it her best shot. Brava Agnes, and Bravo Tiberius. A marvellous effort all round! Here’s a pic of her taken back in the Spring, when she was in moult and looking pretty unprepossessing!
Clive Hicks-Jenkins' Artlog: 
Well done, Agnes and Tiberius, and well spotted Clive!
How cool to hear, Clive! She certainly did give it her best shot. It’ll be delightful to see them once you get a photo or two. And I’m with you: I’m glad you didn’t get around to disposing of the brash.
How lovely! That’s an awful lot of names I hope you’ll have to come up with.
Ahhh Philippa, there was a time when I would have!
Too many sharp beaks and fangs out there to hope that many will survive. And if I’ve noticed them, then other things that have their minds on dinner shall have noticed too. Nevertheless, the image of Agnes marshalling her offspring on her little hill of compost in the paddock filled me with delight.
yay! congratulations to all of you 😀