The birds are taking a break from their dawn chorus duties. They are tired after the spring and summer of posturing, courting and mating, followed by the relentless job of raising clutches of clamouring nestlings. Some adults are moulting, replacing their worn-out feathers with a new set that will see them through the rigours of winter. They are vulnerable in their messily plumaged state, and keep quiet so as not to alert predators to their condition. The making of new feathers takes up a great deal of energy, so birds need more nutrition than usual.

Source: The Times August 23, 2020 02:03 UTC