Today was one of those days where everything just comes together! After failing to find the rosella nest yesterday I was even more determined today. Thanks to a fellow photographer’s investigative work, I now had directions of where to find it at Zealandia. So we headed up the track, 400 metres we were told, they didn’t say that was all up hill but I made it up thankfully. Within ten minutes of finding the spot, the parent bird flew in and started feeding the chicks. Five little heads popped up out of what looked like a dead tree and they were hungry! I had about five minutes with them before the parent bird flew off and the chicks disappeared back down into the truck of the tree.
I knew if I waited long enough it would happen again but I had no idea just how long it would take. When we had thrushes nesting by the house they were feeding every few minutes but not the same with the rosellas. My long suffering assistant (husband) trekked back to the car to retrieve my chair and a newspaper for him to read so we could wait it out. I had also had a txt message from another couple of photographers who were on the way there so we figured we would stay until they arrived to save them having to hunt for the site. 
So there I was, sitting in my arm chair on the track, eating my lunch and a group of American tourists stop to see what I am doing. There’s a cruise ship in town and they were visiting Zealandia for the day. I showed my images and got some ooohs and ahhs and then they went on their way. After waiting there for an hour and a half the parent bird returned and feeding started again. Another five minutes of pure magic! The other photographers missed it by minutes. I left them to the waiting game and heading home, but have since heard it was another three hours before the chicks were fed again and then it rained! You snooze you lose guys, you should know the early bird always gets the worm!
Simply beautiful, Toya! I like the sound of a comfy chair as a hide. Well worth the early start.
Oh what excitement and such clear, colourful photos/birds. Well done and thank you for sharing these special images. That is quite a brood to feed.
I, too, am very excited late this sultry afternoon in Whitby, Porirua. I had heard a squeaking bird noise earlier in the day and wondered what I was hearing. Then half an hour ago it was much louder and there in the Tulip magnolia near the sugar water feeder was a mature Tui and its fledgling. The latter sounding like a very incessantly squeaking gate(Lol).
Camera in hand I got outside to find they had moved down the garden to the native tree area ( read wilderness). I was over the moon to find two fledglings bumbling about and having a peck or two at some fruits on the tree while the parent flew away. The foliage is so thick and leafy and my skill and equipment are basic but I managed a couple of photos. I’ll put them on my blog tonight. It’s been a great week – Shining Cuckoo and now two newly fledged Tuis and your stunning Eastern Rosellas. :-))