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Gooday all,
Today was busy at 45 Sinclair St. Bowen. Qld. 20 00S 148 14E
for a little jewel of Queensland airspace.
A female Yellow-bellied (breasted) Sunbird (depending on
which Field Guide you use) who has been busy over the last week making some
renovations to an old nest finally took possession of the hanging
structure.
It is approx. 1 metre from the backdoor hanging on a clothes
line that we have strung in the back unenclosed pergola.
Not sure if it is the builder from last year but I can assure
you that the female bird seems to be responsible for the majority of nest
building and rearing of young judging by past performances recorded for the
Birds Aust. Nest Record Scheme since 1978.
The Yellow-bellied Sunbird is a small Central/North Qld.
member of the Family Nectariniidae of which Australia has one representative.
Quite accustomed to building nests and breeding close to human habitation they
are a regular breeding bird within the Bowen region between October and April,
our traditional "Wet season".
The male has a bright metallic cobalt blue throat and
breast while the female is completely yellow from throat to
undertail.
I am unaware of any eggs in the nest but suggest there are
some due to the length of time that she is remaining on the nest. This morning
at 0725 she spent a considerable time perched on the side entrance with tail
cocked well under nest seemingly inspecting the standard of the interior. After
a good 8 mins she then entered the nest chamber gave a few shuffles and settled
down for a long period until 0930 when she left.
Returned to nest at 0948 and has been on the nest for the
majority of the day, male bird has not been observed of heard.
Jon Wren
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