Hi David
Tony and I had a peewit nesting in our front yard (only a branch away from
where she was born two years ago I think) and her chick hatched a couple of
weeks ago and finally left the nest last weekend. She is driving her already
demented father mad by harassing him constantly for food - that is if he is
in the vicinity and not flying at and bouncing off one of our windows. This
activity has been going on for weeks and we are actually surprised he hasn't
died of exhaustion. It is impossible to dissuade him.
I saw the female back on the nest last week but thought she was tidying it
up or perhaps looking after the chick when she was resting. However, Tony
found the nest on the ground this morning with a broken egg near it. It
seems that the nest was re-used, but that the mud holding the nest to the
branch finally gave way after the deluge we had yesterday and it fell. It
was sad to see, but better than had it fallen with a small defenseless chick
in it. Last year the nests that were built (even using mud from Tony's
specially supplied bucket thereof) dried too quickly in the heat it seems,
and they also fell, but before any eggs had been laid.
We seem to suddenly have had a large influx of currawongs (including young)
which is a matter of concern.
Charmian Lawson
Holder
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