Every year a few intrepid fairy terms (common white terns, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tern) lay their eggs on branches of our eucalyptus trees at the back of the house. They have no nest – eggs just rest on an indentation in the branch – and the single chick has to cling on, literally for dear life. Should they fall, there’s no way back, as adult fairy terns can’t land on the ground. Like swans, chicks are fluffy but dark brown, and, also like swans, they grow into beautiful and graceful pure white birds.