Qs re Spotted Pardalotes

[Roy Harvey <>]

Hi,

1) what do Spotted Pardalotes feed juveniles?

2) are Spotted Pardalotes territorial?

 

Background - after a flurry nest building after 15 October which lasted for about a week (I would see SPs within10 minutes of going into the backyard) I rarely saw them until yesterday. Between the nest building period and now I probably saw a SP every second day - generally coming out of the nest. Even when I sat for a hour they generally didn't return to the nest. I assumed that they must have been incubating eggs.

 

Q1 Today, it appeared to me that some soil below the nest opening had been scratched away - comparison later with photos showed that 'somehing' had happened to the soil over time. When I was only half a metre from the nest the smaller (female?) landed just above the nest and 'glared' at me. I backed off to about 7 metres. The smaller bird quickly entered the nets hole and then left after 30-45 secs. The larger (male) soon appeared and also entered the nest and again left in a similar time. I placed a wire screen ove the nesting site (being concerned that the neighbour cats had been at the nest). Within the next 20 minutes both birds returned to the nest, inspected the wire and entered and then left the nest on four occasions. They did not appear to be carrying anything into the nest. IF they were feeding young, what were they feeding to them?

 

Q2 After this flurry of entering and leaving the nest, both birds flew away and didn't return to the nest for at least half an hour. But while I was sitting and watching two SPs appeared on the power wires above me and seemed to engage in courting behaviour. So, the question about territoriality. Would these have been the resident birds or another pair that were just passing through?

 

Regards

Roy