Birds offer survival lessons

A pair of blackbirds have built a nest three feet from our kitchen window, in a wall plant-basket fixed to a jasmine covered trellis; rather pretty, very snug, our two dogs keeping cats at bay.

They’re busy raising three hungry nestlings, seemingly unbothered by us. The parents have two labours; firstly feeding the nestlings, and secondly, cleaning the nest. Nestling droppings come neatly contained in a faecal sac which the adult birds will carry away or swallow, and they’ll burrow down in the nest, keeping it scrupulously clean.

You see, there is in nature this strict injunction for survival: ‘‘Don’t foul your own nest’’.

So this letter isn’t just about natural history; our little homestead companions are trying to teach us something, and we’d do well to learn.

Because this is what we do to our nest: global warming, water pollution, air pollution, plastic pollution, ocean gyres and microplastics, CFCs, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, even light pollution – the list grows ever longer and ever more dire.

Humanity’s negligent unconcern for our environment, to keep our nest clean, is an existential indictment of our cupidity and stupidity – we just haven’t learnt, and we will suffer for it, a lot. John K Monro, Martinborough