Against all odds

Mrs Hardy has been AWOL for a while, appearing fleetingly and then disappearing we know not where. A week ago she turned up with three chicks in tow. Given the vermin cats, birds of prey and foxes being partial to poultry the odds of survival are not good. However a week on all three are still breathing and this morning they were up to extraordinary antics. I could hear them but not see them, not until one flew from the cottage roof. Somehow they had got up by the chimney and even more surprising flew, not fell, flew down to land by mum. Fingers crossed they continue to thrive.