And then there were two…

IMG_5521-blogOn September 26 we had one egg in the nest. Another one was laid each day until there were four and mamma bird made herself comfortable for the next couple of weeks.  Around October 12th we believe the first chick hatched and today that chick left the nest at 15 days old.  It has been really interesting watching these birds and how they behave. The nest is the domain of the female and the chicks. The males main job is providing food and guarding for predators – he chased me off a couple of times!IMG_5654-blogWhile four chicks hatched, only three survived.  The last one to hatch really didn’t have a chance as its siblings were already much bigger and better at getting their parents attention and food.  In the time they have been in the nest we have had some of the strongest winds recorded in the Wellington region and yet still the nest survived. Testament to the building skills of the female bird – again the male had no part in that.IMG_5498-blogYesterday again with high winds I noticed the larger of the chicks was standing up quite a bit, preening and stretching its wings while the other two hunkered down. I thought it would be blown out of the nest a couple of times but it managed to hang in there until this morning.  It actually flew out as opposed to falling out so I am assuming it was ready to do so. It’s running around our driveway now being very vocal.  It is not alone out there either, there is also a blackbird chick running around calling for its parents too.  I am going to have to be careful when I drive out with the car!IMG_5511-blog

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