Breeding season in my GBS precinct
in Deakin has been best displayed by a busy female magpie who has been
building a nest for the past two weeks. When I first observed it, I
was surprised at the position - a fairly flat and exposed bough of a
eucalypt rather than in a fork. The nest developed with many observed
visits of the female carrying sticks and the male perched in sentry
position nearby (especially late in the building period). First there
was just a thin skeletal bowl shape and then, progressively, a
substantial bowl which looked to me noticably larger than magpie nests
usually are.
Yesterday morning (Friday), the bird
was busy in the nest and seemed to be adjusting sticks. By lunchtime,
with the wind howling, my wife and I passed again and saw that the nest
was no longer in the tree but lying fairly intact on the ground. The
surprise was that the nest contained no fewer than three wire coat
hangers, substantial pieces of plastic webbing and other man-made
flotsam and jetsam. This probably explains the large size. How she
got these heavy elements into the nest is a mystery - I did not see her
carrying anything but sticks in my casual observations. It would have
been quite a sight to see!
My conclusion is that the bird was
probably an inexperienced nest builder and that she will have to
improve her choice of site and materials. Perhaps the male may have to
improve his choice of mate if he wants to increase his chances
of breeding successfully.
The attached photo shows the hangers
fairly clearly and gives an idea of size relative to my foot.
Any comments or similar observations?
David Rosalky
