Last night before turning off the lights, I peeked through the front door glass, and saw the female Flycatcher all settled in for the night on her nest.Β  Everything seemed just as it should be.

 

The male Pacific-slope Flycatcher patiently watches the nest

This morning though, although the male was sighted on his usual perch, the female was gone from the nest for some time.Β  Usually she comes right back, but the nest seemed eerily quiet.Β  She suddenly showed up, and the male joined her on top of the porch light, and then both immediately flew off together.Β  Something wasn’t right…

 

The babies are gone...

The nest, between last night and this morning, has been robbed.

There’s not a single nestling left, and no clue as to the thief, but clearly this predator was very efficient.Β  This is all part of life here at Curbstone Valley.Β  There are predators, and prey.

However, it has been an interesting experience watching this dedicated pair of parents patiently crafting their nest, and incubating the eggs.Β  Although this brood of hatchlings has been lost, Pacific-slope Flycatchers often will lay two clutches per year.

 

There's still a chance for more eggs this summer...

 

...and a second brood...

Hopefully the next location this pair chooses to nest will be less exposed, and their future efforts rewarded with a strong, healthy brood, that evades detection from the numerous predators here on the farm.