There is definitely something in the Devonian air this August as we have yet another broody bird. And as with QBP, it began with a disappearance when at shutting up time tonight, we realised we were a turkey short in the barn (said turkey being Victoria). With all thoughts of predators cast to the back of our minds, we began a search by torchlight amongst the nettles, brambles, thistles and other such man/woman-hating plants that dominate the poultry hedgerows. She has to be broody we thought and sitting on a clutch of eggs somewhere (fingers crossed firmly behind our backs).
And so it proved when we spied her amongst the vegetation, not terribly well hidden it has to be said and not terribly pleased to see us either. Some birds pick brilliant places to go broody: tucked away, dry, hard to find, small enough to be hidden, big enough to access. NOT so Victoria, she was pretty much on the edge of all the vegetation, virtually trip-overable in fact, and there was us, getting stung, scratched and pricked as we ventured deep into the undergrowth expecting her to be surrounded on all sides by leaves and branches.
A close inspection discovered twelve eggs and because Victoria has taken all this trouble to lay, make a nest (of sorts) and start sitting; we felt honour bound to transport both her and eggs back to the barn and into one of the nesting boxes where, if she wants to, she can carry on sitting.
If all FIVE broody birds (ducks x2, chicken x2 and now a turkey) manage to hatch some or all of their eggs, September is going to be a busy, noisy month with a lot more youngsters than is usual for this time of year. Time, as they say, will tell!!!