The Brave . . .

After the tradegy of the rat attack and all the young (4) being killed and taken by the rat. The female a few days later was relining the nest. The rat still came back at night and was checking the nest. After the first egg was laid the rat (in daylight) was back in the nest eating the egg, which was the final straw. Consequently we cleared out the shed (left a only a few items in it). I screwed the nest-side shed wall against it's base to prevent access by the rat and battened the bottom (access under the shed). Since then we haven't see the rat and the "mum" has continued to lay 3 additional eggs (Day 7 today - photo). We are hoping that the rat will not return. A trap is laid in the shed itself and a cage trap is outside. This will be the fourth (and most likely last) attempt of the female to raise a brood this year. The first two was attacked at egg stage (probably the same rat).