The first nest I checked this morning was AS08, a tomtit nest which is high up in a clump of Muehlenbeckia. The parents weren’t going back to the nest to feed the chicks immediately, so I waited and eventually two little fledglings came down to the ground to feed too! These are a pair that we haven’t banded shortly before fledging as their nest was out of ladder reach, but it is good to see them flying and feeding.
While we’re on the subject of friends, here is our pre-Christmas update on some of our bird families:
Drusilla’s three chicks have successfully fledged and have been seen taking their first flying lessons in Ikes Bush. Mum and Dad, however, are still very busy feeding the fledglings as they struggle to even pick up their own worms. The adult birds might feed their fledglings for several months after the chicks officially leave the nest.
After their first clutch died we’re hoping that Fast Eddie (the hut tomtit) and his mate will build another nest very soon. I spent an hour yesterday following Eddie, but he wasn’t showing me where his new nest is. “My” tomtit nest, SF01, has a handful of chicks which we will make sure to band before we leave the Island. The female on that nest has been named Agatha and is one feisty bird, telling off everyone who comes to weigh her chicks. Fat Freddie’s mate, Wilma, is also fierce, so we’ve great hopes for her three chicks too.
We’ve lots of robin news, and each time we meet up together for meals we swap which nests have chicks and who might be rebuilding ready for clutch number two. Yesterday Brigitta saw that Gary (so called because his leg bands are Green, metal, also known as Aluminium, Red and Yellow) chicks had fledged and that little Jolina and Silas, named for her niece and nephew, are doing well.
We’re hoping for more eggs and fledglings before we leave, so will keep on going out every day and see what’s new in the forest bird population.
No comments:
Post a Comment