Fwd: Acanthiza chrysorrhoa [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

[martin butterfield <>]

A local resident told me this story, and I thought a happy ending deserved to be spread around!

Martin

Hi Martin,

A bird nest story.

 

I have been cutting Christmas trees from a plantation on my farm near Queanbeyan for most of December. The trees are 1-3 metre high Pinus radiata pruned to give quite a bushy habit.

Normally I grow them about 2-3 metres apart and there are 3000 in the plantation.

 

On a hot afternoon at about 3 o'clock a buyer, Frank, chose a particular tree which I cut for him and unceremoniously dumped in the ute for the very bumpy 1km ride back up to the house, they did likewise for their journey home in their ute. Four hours later at about 7 that night they heard tiny chirping sounds coming from the tree and upon investigation discovered a bird's nest containing at least 2 chicks had survived the journey.He quickly rang me and we decided to attempt to reinstate the whole tree as near as possible to the original site. We reversed all the bumpy rides, this time aware of our passengers and trying to be a bit more careful.

 

With only about 30 minutes of twilight left I propped the tree in a bucket of water against a neighbouring tree and retreated hoping for the best. I waited for 10 or 15 minutes for a sign of the returning parents but saw nothing. So with a sinking heart thinking I had certainly killed the chicks I left for the night. We had 6 mm of rain in the night and I feared my reorienting the nest and the tree, which was canted over at a bit of an angle, would cause the nest to leak.

 

Next morning I revisited the tree and peering in, saw a bead of water sitting on one chick so determined the chicks were dead. I lifted the whole nest out of the tree and poked the 'dead' chicks with my finger, and to my surprise found they were still alive, the water droplet had been a shining eye.  Surprised, I carefully replaced the nest and again watched unsuccessfully for parent visits. So I thought they would now surely die during the day from starvation. That day was to be 37 degrees so I really had very little hope.

 

In the evening I repeated my investigations and seeing the inert chicks felt they were now surely dead, I again removed the nest and poked away as before, even prising the opening slightly wider to get a better view. To my increasing surprise they were still very much alive and kicking. Carefully I replaced the nest again and watched for the parents whom I now felt certain must visit soon. But still I saw nothing whilst waiting for about 20 minutes. At least now I felt sure they hadn't deserted and were actively feeding.

 

A day later again I caught a very fleeting glimpse of a yellow rumped thornbill as it flashed away from the tree to a nearby revegetated gully with mature red box trees.

 

Another day later and my next investigation showed an empty nest, the chicks and flown. Wow! I felt I'd fumbled my way to a good outcome.  

 

Tim Booth