WHILE strolling around Tockholes I found the nest of a blackcap containing young which were being fed.

The nest looked so fragile that I could almost see through the floor.

Whilst I was watching from a discreet distance it began to rain very heavily and it was only then that I realised just how clever the bird was. The rain was so fierce that if the nest had a more solid base it would have flooded and drowned the young. I could see water dropping through the nest but the adult was also shielding the young by using her wings like an umbrella.

The blackcap is a member of the warbler family and most birds migrate from Africa during the spring. In recent years, however, the blackcap is showing an increasing tendency to over-winter.

It is only the male which has the black cap. The top of the female's head is actually brown.

With most species of warbler the sexes look alike but the blackcap is a notable exception.