Just an up-date on the white-faced heron's nest I have been watching, in
case anyone is interested. The young birds have now left the nest, but at
least one is still in the area. Nearly all the leaves around the nest have
now been eaten, so that branch is as bare as the rest of the tree again. On
closer inspection, there are the remains of eaten leaves all over the tree.
A few uneaten leaves remain directly below the nest. It has been suggested
that possums are eating the leaves. This sounds very likely as there are
plenty in the area, and that would account for the remaining leaves which
are possibly inaccessible to possums, but would not be difficult for insects
to locate and eat.
If this is so, it is quite incredible the damage possums can do. Without
them, the tree would probably be a mass of leaves, unless of course
something else came along....
Previous posting:
> I have been watching a white-faced heron's nest over the past month and
> a half. It was built in an old almost bare, dead-looking eucalypt.
> Gradually over the weeks, lots of new lush healthy leaves have been
> growing all around the nest, but no-where else on the tree. It now
> looks like there is a bush with a nest in it stuck in the tree.
>
> Does anyone know if this is a normal thing, and why the leaves are
> growing. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps the tree is
> infested with insects that eat all new growth, but the birds are getting
> rid of the insects around the nest. I can't look too closely at the
> tree, because I don't want to disturb the chicks.
>
> Merrilyn.
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