Psilos Bird Photography

The big day arrives

The story of one little rock pipit
The start of this tale unfolds very early one cloudy July morning at Kilmore Quay in Southern Ireland. Sitting, relaxing and killing time before we caught a boat out to sea we started to look around to see what delights the harbour had to offer three eager photographers. Sure enough delights there were and we were rewarded with some stunning close up views of two very special pipits.
 
 
The birds were nesting in the harbour wall and in typical rock pipit style they were very tame. The colours of the boats behind created some wonderful back drop colours. Superb foragers of insects they brough back some interesting snacks for their chicks.
 
 
Totally unbothered by our presence the pipits visited back and forth busily feeding their chicks. Unbeknown to us from the depths of the harbour wall new life was about to break free and make its first hesitant steps into the world. We were in the right place at the right time and we were about to witness it first hand.
 
 
Scrambling and flapping its short stubby wings a rock pipit chick fledged and finally landed on the top of the harbour wall. Exhausted he sat there for the briefest of moments before the instinct to survive took over and he flew onwards to the safety of the harbour wall behind. Luckily he flew straight to a sheltered ledge were he perched precariously waiting for his parents to come and feed him.
 
 
 
Find him they did but not before they had found more tasty morsels for him to eat.
 
 
 
After about half an hour the chick plucked up the courage to move on and explore this new world.
 
 
 
Calling out and keeping contact with his parents the adults always knew where to find him.
 
 
 
This was one plucky little bird but striding out took him back towards the edge of the harbour and here there were many dangers. I guess the pull of the boats must have been too strong for he leapt from the side and flapping his wings as fast as he could he crashlanded on a boat below and disappeared from view. Sadly that was the last time i saw him but before moving on I took a moment to wish this special little guy well on his quest to see the world.