Found. Mother defeathered, only wings remain...

Guess it is all finally over. The mother, or father, is dead. Unlikely to be the father, for he is usually perched high up the branches.

We have a classic example of a 'sitting duck', or 'sitting bird', in this case. Must have appeared as appetising to a passing pariah cat as the poster of a piping hot KFC Drumstick would be to us. But the sheer brutality of the crime calls for the murderous cat to be skinned alive, not before dismembering it first. Have never been a lover for cats, because they are simply too haughty. Very aloof, and non-chalant for the values of life. And they have a penchant for stealing food, alive or otherwise.

Heart wrenching, as the reality begins to sink in... Tears rolled down my cheeks when I finally discovered the truth. I had to crawl under the foliage to seek out the remains... and was rewarded with what I dreaded to see. Feathers strewn all over the place, in a radius of up to 1 meter. The 2 wings with feathers intact, and the long tail...confirming that IT is the wagtail's. Now the eggs will be mine to hatch. How will I feed them? Will they live to fly the nest? Will they even hatch?

This is the reality of life. While one tends to the next generation, in full anticipation of the joys one's young brings, tragedy strikes. All ends in tatters, in this case, literally... Birds fight to the death, defending their young, be they only eggs. We humans, purportedly the masters over the beasts from the air to the sea, ditch our young, in seek for a better life. aka. sending kids to orphanages, homes, etc...

I have learnt some valuable lessons here. I will defend my other half at all times, and no harm shall come to her. The frailty of life requires us to enjoy each and every moment, to treasure those around us, while they are still around us...