Parental responsibilities

This male blackbird has been my companion most of the day as I continued the hunt for Reg the tortoise. His markings are unusual with a lot of brown feathers amongst the more typical black. He and his mate have a nest tucked against one of the garden walls, and there are hungry mouths gaping to be fed. The male doesn't stop, and he's visiting the nest much more frequently than the female. The sound of them scratching about amongst the leaf litter has fooled me numerous times into thinking it might be Reg rustling.

Wifie has been out all day, but I needed her to come home to convince my rational self that Reg has left us a sign, several signs in fact. I had to go out first thing to do a breeding wading bird census, and I didn't get back till about 0900. By the time I had had breakfast and gone out to the garden it must have been 1000. I had not thought there was much point in looking earlier, as it had been another frosty night, and the sun was only just starting to warm the garden.

Close to where his water bowl has been left, I found a large black scat. It was moist and fresh, but at this time, feeling tired from having got up at 0600, the rational self was losing out to the emotional, I couldn't quite believe this was tortoise poo, even though I knew there was nothing else that would leave a dropping like that. There were several smaller droppings nearby, and in a couple of them milky streaks. Sorry this is getting rather graphic, but in my limited acquaintance with Reg, this is what his produce looks like. By the time Wifie came home in the late afternoon, the big scat had dried and resembled even more the droppings I have removed from his indoor cage. She was in no doubt as soon as she saw it. There was even a trace of a dropping on his water bowl that I had somehow overlooked.

But despite spending all afternoon in the garden, as the blackbirds came and went from their nest, there was not a movement from Reg, and for all my combing of the overgrown flower borders, I couldn't find him. It's a further mystery as to when he was moving about, since it must have been fairly early in the morning when it would still have been very chilly.

But we are encouraged. So now we have propped open the door to the tortoise house in the garden, filled it with fresh hay, and put in a plate of his favourite cherry tomatoes. And we shall see what tomorrow brings.

I am touched and grateful for all the messages of support and encouragement left by my blip friends yesterday. What a wonderful place Blipworld is.

Ps As SarahSmith noticed, there were actually several signs of Reg's movements, but he himself remained unseen!