Mum Dad or Helper?

I had recently visited some friends doing research on variegated fairy wrens. I had learnt from them that these wrens have male helpers that will contribute to the building of the nest and feeding of the chicks. I had left this visit hopeing to find a variegated nest of my own that I could observe. 

Days later I was excited to come across one being built in some dry grass on the side of a path. The female wren was bringing long pieces of grass to the nearly completed and well camouflaged little dome. I was unwilling very close to the nest upon discovery and worried that I would cause it to become abandoned I left immediately.

I would occasionally walk past this spot on my birding days and noted not much action at the area for almost a week. I was pleased one day to see a little chestnut spot in the shadows of the nest and moments later a distressed female flying out of the bushes. I was happy to see the nest being used still and walked on. 

Days later there was no sign of a bird in the nest and I approached it, I gently tipped the bottom so that I could see into the soft chamber. Three tiny eggs freckled with light brown spots were hidden in the grass home. Each time I had passed the nest since that day all I could see was mummy's chesnut beak as she was incubating her preciouts eggs.

It felt like for ever but four days ago the moment I had been waiting for had arrived. No mum was to be seen. I peeked inside the nest and three tiny birds the colour of my pale skin and with black unopened eyes were resting in the bottom of their temporary home. 

Moments later an irritated mummy with a beak full of caterpillar chipped and flapped her wings. This brought the attention of two males in breeding plumage. I backed away from the nest and the males fed the chicks. Mum was more reluctant but eventually perched onto the nest beak down and but up. 

This morning I revisited to find the eyes are now open and the babies have pin featheres. I also noted a male early in his first moult tending to the young. He had a small area of black creeping into his chestnut beak. He had sweet blue dots above his eyes as and some chestnut and blue lightly over his shoulders. I was excited to get a photo of this plumage as I had only just learnt that males look like females in their first year and that their beaks are a chestnut before they first moult! This just made sexing wrens more difficult!

The Eyes Have It

Black winged stilts are beautiful. I love them but like many wild birds this love is never  reciprocated. Often I will approach them confidently and they don't seem bothered by me then one will give me a look, make a peeping call and they will all go hangout at the other side of the lake. A place bothersome humans have no access to.

Yesterday three BWS were hanging out at lake Lenore which is small and shallow. When approached they would fly to the other side which is in front of a bird hide. This is the first time for me the birds have been so close to the bird hide. Admittedly when they went back to the first place I herded them back to the bird hide....

Never before have I noticed their beautiful red eyes! Pied birds with red eyes are an ultimate fashion statement. So stunning.

Where I would rather be

I am sitting in the library procrastinating about an assignment wishing I was back on the Gold Coast enjoying this beautiful day at the beach. I have decided to relive my most recent sneaky GC trip.

I have recently started surfing and birding and surfing don't always mix. If I am in the water I see an albatross fly over or an osprey fishing and I am wishing had bins to identify the albatross (or what I think is one, I am New remember) or my camera to capture the Osprey. For this reason I go for a photo walk before I get in the waster and sus out my favourite subjects.

This morning I was taking some seagull shots when I found my osprey buddy eating a fish too far from me to capture. I got caught up in the subjects I had then when retrieving my board from Sebastians' (my red Honda is called Sebastian) boot I saw her again enjoying a bath close to shore on a deserted part of the beach. One of those moments I wish I had a longer lense as I did disturb her. I am pleased however to have some captured memories.

After sitting on my board for a few hours watching the guys take the few waves around me (not complaining) I saw a pair of sooty oystercatchers chipping away at the limpets having a good old time. They are so fun to watch and their bright orange beaks are like a warning to the immobile crustaceans about to meet their doom. I took way more photos of them than necessary but it is so fun having subjects that are conditioned to annoying people like me ;)

In front of my car a pair of striated pardalotes were perched on the wire fence with food for their babies (similar to previous post.) They we quite worried about me watching and would not feed whilst I was looking at them. I backed off and they disappeared into the dirt bank. I couldn't find the nest and decided to leave as they were very uneasy. The pardalot parents were ok with people very close by however they could tell I was watching them intently.