Theres been a MUUUURDERRR

This morning as ever I went down to the pool for a swim, to sit in the morning freshness and imbibe my tea whilst watching the birds in the garden. I have mentioned before the family of robins that have built a nest in the heart of the aspidistra (or its cousin, whatever is is called).

As I sat down inoticed what I thought to be a small heap of peat on the tiles, on closer examination it turned out to be a severed wing, further exploration revealed the body of a robin, I think it was the female , ripped from stern to stem and half devoured.

The culprit is likely to be one of the neighbourhood cats, semi feral terrorists, though not unfed. We have a Siamese Tom, snooty and unfriendly that sprays everywhere, a Tabby Tom that is very wary and not at all loveable and a Black and White Tom that spends every moment trying to catch the fish in the rainwater tank.

I can't prove which one is the slayer so they will all get a dose of lead if I catch them in the garden again, they are welcome to take a pigeon or two, they are just feathered rats anyway, but my lovely little robin,so tame that he perched on the back of my chair, deserved better.

The other part of the misery is that as I investigated the nest, having waited for three hours or so to see if the male would continue feeding, it became clear that no chicks existed at all. They have been taken, the nest is destroyed ,just little clumps of hay and wool, but most strange of all stretch out stiff among the stalks, with no sign of injury was the dead body of the male robin .

So Inspector Taggart, what do you think happened? Suspicion must fall on the cats, but could it be that rapacious pair of magpies? Do they actually forage out nests, kill the parents and carry off the chicks?

Whatever has happened it is sad, and has removed a potential blip, as the baby robins were on my list of things.

I may dispense with the cats anyway, the only reason for tolerating them was that my MIL hates cats, but they really are a smelly nuisance and should be discouraged. I do not want to offend cat lovers, but anyone for a free Davy Crockett hat?