This is the inside of our vacated bluetit box. Two babies fledged yesterday and I saw them hanging bravely onto the jasmine plant and then dropping down to the lower branches of the little hazel tree in our garden. I knew we had heard more than two but the box was silent and the parents have moved their babies into the bush next door so I decided to clear the box up myself for a change.
In a normal year we would look more closely at these dead chicks and ponder the reasons that they didn’t make it despite looking so perfect. We would have buried them and then looked in a few months at the effects of normal decay and what it leaves behind. We would wonder at the thick and luxurious bed of moss, grass and feathers that the parents created.
This is not a normal Spring and I will not be showing the children this picture. Their lives are impacted enough by the death and sadness in our world right now. We are all missing our friends and these birds were so important in bringing new relationships to us in a time when we were not able to leave our home.
Later, they will probably be frustrated and then I will apologise for not waiting for help to clean out the box. That's ok. Maintaining good mental health in our home is the priority right now.