Lizard Choughs

Being a bit behind the other pairs, yesterday saw us finally scrambling round to see how the Lizard Choughs were doing. We weren't quite sure what we'd find in the nest, so it was a pleasant surprise to find four chicks in the rather tight fissure in the cave.

As Cornish Choughs go this site was quite accessible!

Unfortunately one of the chicks was a bit of a runt, being 50g lighter than its siblings, so it'll be interesting to see if it survives. Apart from the runt, the other birds were all given a unique combination of colour rings which will allow us to follow their fortunes in the coming years. Measuring the leg length also gives us a good indication of sex and the three larger birds appeared to be two females and a male.

All four chicks safely returned to their rather scruffy nest

The Lizard brood brings the number of chicks ringed this year to 13, with one further site to check next week. This figure may seem low in comparison to previous years, but many of this year's pairs were inexperienced birds, so this number will only increase.

Many thanks as ever to all of the dedicated Chough-watchers who make our life so much easier by following these birds and working out hatching dates and to Cat Lee from the National Trust for the photos. More information on these iconic birds can be found on the Cornish Choughs website.