The last two mornings I observed both chicks preening thier new feathers. Mum Little Wattle Bird returned while I was shooting this pic. She shouted at me from the top of the tree, then when I looked up at her, she flew off and landed on the ground a few metres away. She then hopped around with one wing outstretched and her tail spread, making small sounds. I believe she was pretending to be injured in order to draw me away from the nest, and the small sounds she made were her saying "Oh dear, Im a juicy little wounded bird who cant fly away. Oh dear, that big predator is going to eat me!" As I raised the camera to get a shot this behaviour, she took off like a shot to another tree. What a Momma!
15 comments:
Drawing off an enemy like this is a big risk! I suppose at this point if one parent were taken, the other could still care for the chicks, but it wouldnt be easy LOL
When I'm kayaking I see ducks using then same tactics. One parent will move off to the side with the chicks, while the other will crash its wings in the water and create a kafuffle to draw my attention. I'm amazed at how long they will carry on with the injured bird routine, anything up to half an hour! Sometimes I have to haul up in the weeds and play dead just to break the deadlock.
Wow! Wow! Wow! They look like birds now. Thank you for your care and perseverance in taking these photographs. You managed to share the beautiful transformation of the two eggs without harming or endangering the birds. You are very very good Lavender. I like your interpretation of the mother bird's act. What a darling. Between you and Anon, you have transformed me into a bird lover. I now pay attention to every bird I see, not just the hawks and vultures. Thank you.
Wow. Some things really are universal!
They now look like birds rather than embryos.....
Oh my, are you sure those are still babies? They look so big!!
Barkfoot As long as that? Wow, thats some dedication LOL! Its very good of you to play dead for Ducky, they need all thier strength to take care of chicks - thats for sure :)
Ces Many Thanks Ces! Ive tried to be very careful not to upset them, so much effort they put into raising thier young, its just incredible to watch :) Another Bird afficiando- Hooray!! They need all the friends they can get in this shrinking world.
Nutmeg LOL I like to think it helps put it all in perspective - our problems and trials are universal, we are not the first or the last to face them, and life will go on regardless, so lets enjoy it - but then in those words it sounds a bit heavy....LOL Such is life! :)
Pawhealer Gettin' Birdy-er everyday tehehe
BetteJo LOL Yep, still clinging to that nest...but it wont be long and they will begin to test the edges of thier little world - I so hope I get pics!
Hi Lavender
This is nothing to do with your lovely photos of your baby birds. (Great shots!) I've just taken a look at your website as I love lampwork beads. The colours in yours a gorgeous. Do you take alot of your inspiration from the Australian countryside? I just wondered as many of your colours have a really warm tone to them. (I always feel a little homesick when I see anything Aussie even though I haven't lived there for many many years!)
ces used the words i intended: wow.wow.wow.
incredible to now see hearty birds! and that mother act: i loved it. i am going to use that trick the next time i am threatened. do you think it will work?
thank you so much lavender, this has been so wonderful to follow. really, amazing!
They are really growing up. Thanks to your daily pics, we've seen how they develops.
Catherine I do take alot of inspiration from the Australian landscape, especially for my Magmaform series (the close up in the header for my homepage is a Magamaform, and my all time favourite bead) Thank you for noticing! :)
I can really relate to homesickness, it still gets me regularly. Ive decided it must just be part of the whole 'migration trip'. Ive really come to love Oz, (as youd expect LOL), but theres still that tug on the heart that seems to come out of the blue sometimes.
Oh well, enough of that! Its a pleasure to meet you, see you over at your place!
KJ Tehehe KJ - well that trick with humans would certinally have the element of surprise - could work a treat! Hehehe
Thanks very much KJ! :)
Captain Thanks so much! I expect they wont be in the nest much longer, going to have to enjoy it while it lasts LOL
What a great story, I admire the Little Waddle bird mom. The chicks are becoming beautiful.
Hardwax I so admire these parents, so dedicated!
Hello i have just found a baby wattle bird it was abanded or lost i have took it in to its older nuff to go but i need to no wat i should feed it to give it the right nuitriants
Hi Chris, the best thing to do is:
if youre sure the chick is abandoned or cant see a nest to return it to - Id recomend you get in touch with WIRES or other local wildlife agency, they will have trained carers who know exactly what to do. If you dont know how to reach them (I dont know where you are) you could try calling a local Vet, they should have your local chapters info - my Vet will sometimes care for sick or injured birds untill a WIRES person can come to get them - so that may be the easiest option for you.
If you have the chick now, a small box, perhaps lined with newspaper or paper towel, with a lid - in a dark place is good to keep them calm untill you can make some calls ..... if you need more info, please let me know - I will check in again shortly - Good Luck! And Thank you for looking after our feathered friends! :)
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