Breeding (?) Red-browed Finch

["martin butterfield" <>]

Last year members of this chatline were very helpful in identifying a Red-Browed Finch nest in a Cystius (?sp - a broom) in our yard.  This GBS year the birds added a second storey and appeared to breed quite happily.  A second nest was also successful about 50m away.  All of this happened before Christmas.

 

Today I was working in the vicinity of the double-decker nest and heard the importunings of young birds coming from that locale.  On going to investigate, 3 rather young birds popped out - of the lower level of the 2 storey nest - and flew away.  About a minute later an adult turned up at the entrance tunnel to that nest and looked a bit puzzled as to where the young scroungers had gone. 

 

My first thought was that I had witnessed a fledging episode.  However, when in the nest these birds are not usually silent and as we walk past several times a day it was unlikely we'd not have heard them getting fed earlier.  Following a bit of reading of HANZAB I have concluded that this is an example of using an old nest as a post-fledging roost, and although they were young birds (from the 2nd storey, fledging just before Christmas, I believe) since I didn't see them fed (nor did the adult appear to have food in its beak) it doesn't even rate a DY mention on my chart.

 

Martin