baby birds

Reader Claire Muskus sent us these gorgeous pictures of baby red-talied hawks.  The chicks look so cute: here is Claire's story:

 "We have a pair of red-tailed hawks that nest each year on our 5^th floor ledge.  Usually mid-March, the mom starts her annual ‘house cleaning’ then commences to ‘just sit’.  This year there were 3 eggs; all survived. Last year the same number  were in the nest, but only two survived.  Several years ago, one of the ‘youngins’ fell out of a tree that was near the bldg. Because its wings weren’t strong enough to make it fly back up to the nest, it wandered back and forth on the wall with its mother was dutifully watching and calling to it from across the street and often making low sweeps over it.  Some agricultural students from Trinity College were called in to try to capture it, which they were able to, somehow.  I had the good fortune of actually seeing the hawk ‘up close and personal’.  It certainly was a magnificent, yet scary example of power. I couldn’t believe the length of its talons – to gaze into its eyes was unnerving at best; it was if it could look through to your soul and beyond.  ‘Determination’ was the name of the game because somehow the bird escaped again, this time crossing the road and found its way into the bushes at the Bushnell; the DEP (Dept. of Environmental Protection) was contacted.  They found the bird, put a large towel over its head, brought it into the building, up the elevator (wished I’d been on that ride up – can you ever imagine getting on and seeing this ‘thing’ sitting on someone’s arm covered with a towel???) to the 5^th floor, opened a casement window and put it back on the ledge where it was supposed to be. "

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What should one do when one finds a baby bird and its parents seem nowhere around?

The answer depends on many factors and is not as simple as we would like it to be.  Much depends upon the age/stage of the chick, what type of chick it is and the state of the individual bird and whether it is really orphaned or just appears so.

Here are some quick tips: read more »

For  the last two days I've been telling you about noisy-miners.  Now the miners are considered to be one of the more aggressive birds in the country.  They work in teams and families and can stand up to big birds like the crows and gang up on any bird  who won't give into their demands (e.g the friarbirds).

Quails on the other  hand are considered to be very timid and extremely vulnerable.  They have been easy targets for shooters and fall prey to predatory birds.

So imagine our surprise when a family of quails walked down from the grassy paddock into our backyard for a grand tour of the human habitat.  The adults were so confident and proud of their little chicks who were barely days old.  They inspected the bird baths, walked along the garden, checked out the undergrowth beneath the bushes, pausing every now and then to point significant items of interest to their young flock. They came right up to the back door and took a good long look inside.  By the time I grabbed the camera and focussed through the glass, it was time for them to leave, so some of the shots read more »

Different species of birds have different needs regarding access to water and plants.  The extent and diversity of their territories and feeding habits influence their visiting times.  But even more interestingly the ability to negotiate their visiting and access rights with other birds who are considered by them as the rightful owners of the territory has a major impact on their movements.

Click here to read more. read more »

After the tragic loss of three gorgeous chicks (and possibly more) Maggie and Vicky were happy to be blessed with Monty and Mindy from Vicky's second clutch in 2007. Sophie loved the pair dearly, they help her heal from her loss. Wendy was happy to have two younger playmates - but was a bit overwhelmed by them at times.  read more »

So you've found a lone baby bird... Now what?

Quite simply, a wild animal's chance of survival is greatly increased when left in its natural environment.    Having said that, what about the 25% of babies that are orphans?

When you find a baby bird, before making any decision to intervene, the first thing you have to do is decide which of the following situations we're dealing with:

Read more in the Special Edition of Wild Bird Talking - Out  Now.

Just enter your details in the box in  left hand column and receive your copy at no charge.   read more »

The birds and wildlife have had a wonderful summer this year, inf act the best in over a decade.  New wildgrasses have sprung up covering the hillsides due to the extended rains and are providing plenty of food and shelter this season in contrast to years of dry, burnt summers.   Check out the pics below to see what they have been doing.

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).

Previous Slide 1/36 Next Willie and Nellie learning to sing against the cloudy skies Lush green grasses fill the paddocks The eagles are a hunting up above while Rainbow lorikeets are sorting out territorial boundaries below The babblers have moved in having negotiated their rights The wallabies are enjoying the rich pickings along with Bertie Vicky Mindy and Kenny Billy's family is happy too Larry and Harrie are singing to glory The Crested pigeons are thrilled to boots Maggie's son Monty has found new friends Kenny wants to get up close and personal Gabriel Tuks joined the bat creche and returned to the colony Charlie Girl is fully recovered and adores Pete Jack is much happier now he can fly further Wallabies relax in the shade at the Long Grass Wildlife Refuge Jack adores Gabi Wild grasses spring up along the roadside the whole valley is green - for a few weeks at least One eyed Curly the currawong is looking healthy and well Gumnuts are a plentiful Butterflies delight Billy's brood is growing up Frieda is all black and white but still as friendly as ever Noisy miner is planning another clutch 2 eggs in here while the nest is being fortified wild grasses abound filling the bushy landscape to the joy of the birds and animals The galahs are keen to show their nest and pose for the camera The peewee too wants to be seen  read more »

by Gabrielle Friebe

We named them Salt and Pepper -   the plovers were found just hatched next to a pile of feathers that was their mum. We don't know what happened to her. Feral cat, powerful owl something like that.   Scroll down or click on the links below for their story and pictures: 

• 2 Plover Close (Chicks at home)
• Getting older (Safety in an aviary)
• Friends with kangaroos (Out in the open)
• Back in the Wild (Flying with New Mates)
• Growth Records

2 Plover Close
  

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When Ron rescued a small bird running desperately for its life from a crow, little did he know how much joy and learning the day would bring.  The full story is in our blog A Lucky Rescue Makes A Happy Family and in the pictures below.

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            Pied-butcherbirds chicks are usually born in early December.  Peter Gregory rescued a pair of chicks and had to work hard to rescue them, but found it was well worth the rewards of his Christmas gift. Here's his story.

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