empty nest syndrome

Anniemay noticed last night, that Mrs Duck seemed to be missing, so we had a closer look this morning.  No eggs, no Mrs Duck.  A couple of feathers and a few leaves and flattened grass stalks are all that remain.

When I first noticed the nest she had seven eggs.  A couple ended up on the drive somehow and that didn’t really bode well.  I had assumed it might be magpies - we seem to get a lot around our garden - but we’ve had a crow hanging around for the past couple of weeks. 

It certainly put a damper on our morning.  But that’s nature I guess.