Nesting birds         

Wild birds - Bringing their young ones out to this world in an hostile environment

Nesting series -  

I must start off by talking about the Multiply site. I recorded my sightings on that forum. True enough, my writings reminded me that the last sightings of the nesting was recorded as 22nd March, 2008. Very interesting as I missed the happenings for that cycle. Now almost on the dot, the chicks or chick is out again. have a look at the old nest!  http://wondersf.multiply.com/photos/album/153/Birds_gathering_in_Kiara_Park . The completely new nest was just a bough lower. On the same tree No.4 and in the same orientation.

March 4th, 2009 -Wednesday

At the start when Tan informed me of this nest, I was pleased to note that Oriole have ascertained that this location had proven to be conducive in bringing out a new brood. The construction of the nest, its placement on the flimsy twigs was the same as the old nest. On the outer fringes of the canopy. Understandable! as the tiny twig would not support the weight of a larger bird while it depends on the anchorage to act on the nest. Other options for the predator would be to snatch the chick from the air. The Orioles are known to be more agile and aggressive birds as we have seen them in action!

So, this year I am happy to be given a chance to follow through with the new nest, another new round of picture taking. Recalling last year, I reached the stage of having the parent bird seating inside the nest. Without any reason that I know of, the process terminated! I pray for better luck this round. In the meantime, for a start this day, I could not see any activities inside or outside the nest.

. Not disheartened, I waited. If this is an active nest, the parent should be performing some chores. I thought. At the least which ever stage the eggs or chicks may be, there would be some menial chore like doing guard duty. At that time in the morning, there were lots of Oriole moving about in the park. Their calls heard almost endlessly, I have not seen any that would come to perch on that tree or its neighbor.

I have one picture of the Oriole and one showing the empty nest to start my page. Just looking forward for more discovery and genuine development at the nest in days to come. 

March 5th, 2009 - Thursday Day 1

I was away in Ipoh on Thursday and a day missed.

March 6th, 2009 - Friday Day 2

What surprise greeted me on Friday morning? The parents, both of them form a non stop convoy and just within minutes of one another, completing a mini food chain for the young birds. This is the first time that I saw feeding done in such rapid succession. There was a lull of 5-10 minutes and the chain feeding started.

I could not make out whether the feeding was done on one chick or more. All I saw was feeding. With the sighting of the beak over the edge of the nest, I would not consider that it was hatched this day, perhaps a day or two earlier. So I labeled this Friday as Day 2 after hatching.

The birds would be approaching the nesting area separately. While one was feeding the second parent would stay some distance away, perhaps on the next tree.

Feeding was done very carefully and slowly. I saw that it was done more than one time at each session. At this time, I can only assume that the chick was very tender.

March 7th - Saturday Day 3

I was on site early at 8.00 am as I wanted to gauge the timing followed by the parents. Feeding had started and what was seen on Friday repeated.

March 8th - Sunday Day 4 The time - it was well passed 11.00 pm when I visited the nest. The sun was exceptionally bright as well as hot. Not a nice time to show my interest in the nest on a Sunday. The park attracted large crowd, worse it was not the usual "morning walk" crowd but those participating in interest group.

For that short time I waited, feeding was over. The young chick was grasping for air to ventilate. Again I have difficulty in ascertaining whether there was a single chick or a pair. All indication to date showed a single beak.

March 9th, 2009 - Monday Day 5

I went down to Sekinchang for my birding trip. No report of progress made the young chick.

March 10th - Tuesday Day 6

Some routine changed this day. The chain feeding stopped, instead one bird was watching and another feeding. The bird flying in would come from the tall Casuarina tree behind. Made direct top at the nest and feeding started immediately. There was no haste and a single chicks was fed in each visit while the second waited.

The picture showed clearly that 2 chicks hatched. The parent fed only one chick while the other was begging for food. There were no calls made while the parent was approaching the nest or at the time if feeding. The parent was aware of my watching the nest, this did not deter of hasten up the feeding process.

March 11th - Wednesday Day 7

I hastily went to the nesting at 8.15 am hoping that K.G. Tan would not catch me at the site of the vicinity of the Oriole's nest. That was one issue, another issue for this morning was that the mood of the parent changed dramatically. They did not turn up doing a chain feeding, their appearances were a longer time in between. Worse, they hesitated first when preparing to feed.

The chicks were showing more life. They made no noise when the parent was approaching. The moment the parent came to the nest, they started competing for attention. First, the parent were coming in individually and not in pairs. Approaching the nest, the parent would stop and started looking around.

I can only assume that the birds were spooked and became very cautious. Thinking that K.G. Tan had not found its location, I left the place prior to his arrival. However, he stayed on under the site. His prolonged presence could be the factor in agitating the birds' mood. Later, he explained his plan to retrieve the fledglings as soon as they come of age.

March 12th - Thursday Day 8

The same cautiousness as displayed by the parent continued. In fact, one parent flew to some faraway trees while the mate made the approaches.

Out of the 4 approaches made this morning, only one ended with feeding. The rest, the parent flew off without performing the intended feeding. Since I already had pictures of the chicks' progress, I made my time with the birds very brief.

Here is another shot of the parent having some objects within its beak. As an afterthought and the lack of beaks begging for food. Could be the feces sags that parent had picked up for the day.

The series of wings flapping and stretching came after the feeding. Like what I have seen before with nest of other chicks, one appeared to be more active then the second. Could it be temporary larger too? Here the smaller or second chick must be making room for the larger chick to stretch.

Though the definition of this picture is below par, it is good enough for an impression on the level of colors and the size of the chick attained to date. The parent allocate food to the selected chick though both could be begging simultaneously. This day the feeding continued to be brief. The parent coming in one at a time.

Where I had positioned myself and then later seeing how well developed were the chicks, I had to get good pictures of the chicks. I was some 100 feet away and in hostile lightings. This is an underexposed shot lighten up for the details. It is a good benchmark, 10 days after hatching. The amazing rapid growth was made possible by the continuous high speed rate of feeding.

March 14th - Saturday Day 10

The weather was extremely co-operative this morning with bright sunshine. However the field was not, it was the family days for the Brunfield Construction Co. I had to forgo my usual spot for stalking and opt for the less conspicuous point behind the tree.

It was not a bad point for the morning rays hit directly on most parts of the visiting parent, the front part of the nest, leaving the chicks to appear as silhouette. At long last what I was looking for! The type of food that the parents were bringing in for the chicks Obviously a caterpillar and huge chunky grub for the chicks. The parent waited for the chicks to calm down before offering the food to the one chosen. I could see that despite of the huge crowd of about 100 over people in the field where I would normally be standing, the parent were not disturbed by their presence or noises.

Here are 2 scenes on feeding. 1] The chicks wait patiently for their turn 2] Feeding rate if undisturbed would go on at such frenzy rate. I was writing about the parent forming a continuous food chain - with my presence many cycles were disrupted. Once the birds felt that the coast was clear, both parent brought food. Here an unprecedented view of 2 parents feeding teh chicks simultaneously.

It was a good day for me to have recorded that much of noticeable progress made by the chick

Sunday was bright with good amount of sunshine. Promised to be conducive for me to get respectable picture quality. The 2 paved recreation areas were occupied by separate groups doing their respective style of martial arts training. The nest was tempting and the curiosity of the crowd untested. I started with some distance away in the open field, no eyes was watching me! I think I was given the green light to act freely.

Gone are the weekend days and today, a Monday we get the Park area back to ourselves. This morning Miss Siow came early too.

An observation was made much later, there is a puncture at the bottom of the nest.

Carefully searching, there was a well concealed chicks.

Obviously the chicks had dropped down and was arrested by these leaves.

The next move shocked us, it flew 40 feet across to the next tree. Almost parallel in height and landing fairly high.

From its landing another couple of short flight and onto the upper storey.

Top - Nicely perched and resting, waiting for recuperation to make the next flight upwards.

Same in the picture above, another level up now.

Below - The next step

When the chick attained a safe height, the feeding session started immediately. As in the same pace since the eggs hatched.

Another clue to their aggressiveness and large numbers seen.It won't be wrong to assume that chicks were driven out of their nest for their own safety.

In the meantime, the second chicks among the foliage had a softer spring board to take off from. Maintaining a level height flight, it landed again among the foliage but one from the lowest branch of the Raintree.

The picture above a close-up and this below a panoramic view of that small branch.

Somehow it sensed that the swaying branch was not firm in helping it to gain height. Then there were no other branches of the same that it can get too. It must have the skill and strength to propel itself upwards upon take off.

I waited for 2 hours, curious as to what tactic would the parent adopt to get the fledgling out of its quandary.

Perhaps seeing human presence and risky rescue was not the best options. I instructed the gardener that in case the fledging dropped to the ground, just pick it up and deliver it to the low trees where it can slowly make its way upwards. Have to trust some one!

Feeding of the fledgling started as soon as the parent felt that it safe to approach it. On Tuesday morning the young fledgling did stray far. Feeding still continued at the vicinity where he was abandoned.

I have to take his word as the fledgling left the scene in the morning lights

Without any further use and maintenance, that's the condition of the nest today

As the pictures towards the end show, I was expecting to see in the next couple of days more vigorous exercises and better formed wings. I was never could believe the condition of the chicks and the gestation period of only 11days that the chicks are ready to leave the nest. Yet another eye opener and making me more eager to devote effort in watching nesting birds.

There was never a dull moment in this scene of continuous high speed feeding and forcing the chicks to come of age at an alarming rate. Moreover 11 days with lots of development taking place was just like wink of the eye. The nest was cleverly kept at the edge of the Raintree's crown, some distance away. Curious on-looker watching over my shoulder have difficulties making out the target I was aiming at. the parent helped too by flying in for the feeding and out within the minute.

my only handicap in the process was 1] the angle of lighting against the bright sky as background  2] the distance of over 100 feet prevented me from getting better pictures.

Highlights was again the feeding time. Specially interesting was the simultaneous feeding of 2 chicks by the 2 parents. Also interesting was the act of Fledging itself. the chicks were virtually driven out from the nest with little exercise and expected to fly good distances.

Though the parent expertise lots of caution when feeding the chicks, I could see that the Oriole is an aggressive birds with little fear. Within minutes and relatively little practice the fledgling moved from branch to branch, all in a matter of minutes. Feeding done in the open started immediately. For other birds, the young bird without the protection of the nest would be left alone for a while, so as not to attract unwanted attention to the defend less fledgling.

Having watched the  Oriole bringing out their young and the aggressive manner it was executed gave an impression of time and survival. A classic example of how this bird has remain the domineering garden birds. Every details counts, starting from the comparatively small size nest, location of the nest to the destruction of the nest after use. With so much of calls I cannot help but believe that the community too participated in ensuring the young chicks were well defended.