Two are left

There were only two in view. Surely not - there wasn't enough room for another that size to be underneath - only one explanation then. One has died and one of the adults has taken the body somewhere far away from the nest. The reason we will never know but suspect it could have been the baby I clipped the nylon twine from a few days ago. How could it have survived this long then? Who knows? One can only surmise. But the two left are healthy looking with downy feathers now covering their fat bulging little bodies. Wing feathers growing longer with each passing day and mouths almost as wide as their heads with bright eyes which now look straight at me as I peer into the nest.

I haven't dared pick another one up as adults are squarking close by and I don't want to be their target. I've not heard of noisy miners attacking people like magpies often do during their breeding season so as these babies get larger I may be tempted. It will be interesting to see if either of them come back to their birthplace after they fly the coop.

As I ponder today's events, again I'm reminded of the delicate balance between life and death and how amazing is our Creator who keeps us in that balance.

Now there's three

Three hatched and have survived. Already at less than a week old they are beginning to look very much like native noisy miners. Feathers are beginning to appear and quills on their wings are sprouting. They are at least twice the size they were when first hatched. Mum, Dad and one other adult are kept busy in daylight hours feeding the hungry babies. Everything seems to be acceptable, lime green caterpillars, grasshoppers - almost still in flight, grubby worms, even what looks like whitish eggs of some type, maybe termites.

One day last week I took the opportunity to peek in when the adult birds were off on their food hunting. One of the babies was lying in a most awkward position. I couldn't see what it was that was wrong so gently lifted it up. To my surprise, down its throat was caught a long piece of nylon twine - coming from a tangled mess of this material which mum bird had woven into the nest, anchoring it to some small branches.

I gave a bit of a pull - but it was stuck fast. I couldn't in all honesty pull any harder - I felt as though the tiny scrap's whole inside would be pulled out. The only thing for it was to try to cut it off. I proceeded to get sharp scissors from inside and once the adults had left the area again, I snipped it off. I truthfully thought the poor thing would not survive till the morning with all that going through it's digestive system.

Morning came and I checked to see whether only two birds were now in the nest - thinking that mum may have ditched the one affected if it had died through the night. To my surprise all three were happily chirping and craning their necks - beaks wide open, waiting for a morsel to be shovelled down. And so it has continued. Seemingly no damage done. These birds must be made with cast iron digestive systems!

Two in the nest

Two baby birds have hatched. Blind and near naked they lie, and vulnerable - especially when new mum departs to seek food. On peeking this morning, I was confronted by four large bulbous eyes which don't see, angling their way toward the sky. Mum was off on a mission to find nourishment or simply to have a break from her demanding twosome. While standing watching the antics of one, a day older than the other, I realised for the first time that baby birds this young, who have no sight, only realise that food may be in the offing, once the branches in which they are lodged, begin to move. As I tried to angle my camera in for a close up shot, the vibration of my movement triggered a response from these babies and they began craning their necks toward the opening of the nest with mouths wide, waiting for a tasty morsel to be shoved inside. They were disappointed on this occasion however, as there was no food forthcoming. I have no doubt though that once I had cleared the door alongside their nesting place, mum - or dad, would have been back with breakfast for the pair.

What an experience these last 3 weeks have been, watching nature at such close quarters. To add to this, the first gardenia bloom broke open yesterday, bringing with it the most marvellously exotic perfume. I am truly blessed!

A blast from the past

They came bouncing back into our lives as though they'd never been away. This family who came to this country many years ago on a three year stint had been encouraged by their church, who were sponsoring them to stay, while the Dad completed a Theological degree. Not speaking much English, we were brought together by rather unusual circumstances. They, arriving here with nothing more than what they were able to bring in suitcases - me, with the possibility of assisting them with second hand furniture and household goods. At the time I was working for my church as a Welfare Worker and had access to these commodities through our Thrift Shop when the need arose.

The friendship of our two families grew and they joined us for Christmas dinners and family outings. We took their kids to Sunday School and they learned to speak fluent English by attending the local public school and integrating into other activities.

Now, nearly 20 years later, they were back for a short while. Their son was returning to our city with his new bride, to study at the same College his dad had completed his degree. Dad is now a university lecturer in his country, while mum pastors a large church on the outskirts of the capital. After all these years they had come to help set up an apartment close to the College, for son and new daughter in law. With fairly infrequent communication between us, we found it easy to 'catch up' during their visit for afternoon tea.

Before Mum and Dad departed, they took us with son and daughter in law, to a restaurant serving food traditional to their own country, and we were able to share with them, not only the food, but our mutual love of a Heavenly Father who had originally brought us together.

A blast from the past - certainly - but present day experiences have proven again that our God is an awesome God!

She's in for the long haul

Persistence certainly is the word I have to use to describe this little 'mum to be' as she sits -blithely ignoring the large drops from above raining down on her space. The surrounding areas have been declared drought affected for months now and rain is badly needed, but I still find myself pitying this little creature as she stoicly sits amongst the drips. Tail feathers obviously damp from the occasional puddles of water draining from the leaves enveloping her home.

I am reminded by another member of the household that 'out in the wild' birds would have worse than this to contend with - maybe she is just fortunate to have chosen well.

Now there's four - or more!

I just can't work this one out. First there was just one bird building a nest. Then came Dad and presumably, previous baby. Now there are a host of adult birds which fly in willy nilly and simply take over. I only wish I had some way of marking them as individuals so I could log their comings and goings. The poor gardenia is withstanding the traffic brilliantly however at times it sways drunkenly as each bird clings to the trunk and around the canopy, either to change places, like the veritable changing of the guards, or to peer in with a mock kind of chirping - beak going ninety to the dozen with barely a sound making it through the airwaves.

While 'mum to be' is sitting she occasionally spies an insect or the odd spider which has made it's home in the screen door, so close to her nest. She hurriedly removes herself from the nest and dives perilously close to the glass window to retrieve the tasty morsel, so keeping my back door area free of these small creatures.

It certainly is a community effort by all accounts. This morning I saw one of the 'mob' fly out and on as if to get away for a brief spell of sanity, only to see it turn in a direct swoop to squark and presumably scare off a much bigger bird flying past minding it's own business.

Guess all there is to do now is to wait and watch for the hatching. These birds aren't called 'noisy' miners for nothing - I'm sure we won't miss it!

And Baby Makes Three

Three on a twig? Well not quite - but three were on my gardenia bush. Our bird has brought her family along - not a new 'mum to be,' this one, it would seem. Through the glass window I caught a glimpse of movement near the nest. It wasn't just 'mum to be' moving in an out as she's been doing over the past week or so. It was more than that - in fact more birds. Dad proved to be the one to tip it - and off he flew, leaving' mum to be' sitting on the nest - and what appears to be a nearly grown bird, feathered, but with none of the usual noisy miner markings - completely brownish grey, except for eyes and legs. Whether it was the uncertainty of the perch or a message received of 'you're too big for this' from mum is hard to decide, but Mother bird was soon left by herself, nestling comfortably into the shape of her handiwork, and contemplating what the future might bring.

Persistence

So much for predictions! Persistence personified! She comes every so often with wads of white fluffy stuff, and places them in with such exact precision inside the hollow of the nest. She makes sure they are well moulded by nestling her round belly into the shape. Perhaps she really means to stay.

Movement of humankind in and out of the house may soon send her scurrying to find a more suitable construction site!