Nesting Wrens in the Wild

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY NORM GARDNER

One day I was watering my orchids in our shadehouse when I noticed a clump of grass in one of my hanging baskets suspended about 1.7 metres off the ground. I thought a mouse had built a nest in it and I almost pulled it down.

Upon closer inspection, however, I realised it was a wren’s nest—and
it contained three eggs!

I took a photo of them that day, followed by another picture a few days later as the baby birds were cracking out of the eggs. In fact, I followed their progress day by day until they fledged.

The nest was a domed affair made of grass and lined with soft material eg feathers and lint and nest hygiene was evident.

On fledging the hen had tried to lure me away from the young birds by forming her body into a mouse-like posture and scurrying along the ground mimicking a small rodent.

Another pair of wrens then built a nest in some low growing shrubs planted especially to encourage birds into our garden. It had three eggs in it but only two hatched—the other egg was infertile. The hen was a very light sitter so as soon as I approached the nest she would fly out of it.

The parent birds were seen feeding the young with insects assisted by another fully coloured cock bird who was tolerated by the dominate pair only while he was helping to feed the chicks after which time he was soon sent on his way.

The Superb Fairy-wren has bred up well in recent years in our area. At the time of writing these notes another hen was seen with pieces of grass in her beak ready to build again. A young starling crashed into our glass window and was immediately attacked by both the cock and the hen and soon chased away.

I often throw crumbs from my breakfast table out on our patio and it is a great pleasure to see a family of Blue Wrens come bounding in to feed on them.

                  
Developing Wrens

© ABK Publications

RESOURCES

Australian Softbill Management—Aviary Studies of Wrens, Robins, Chats and Dotterels
Pekin Robins and Softbills—Management and Breeding

Azure Experience

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KELLY BUDGEN

During a recent fishing trip with my over enthusiastic partner we set out to explore the wilds of the Upper Brisbane River and what it had to offer.

After a steep decent down the river bank we successfully boarded the somewhat unstable canoe. Armed with fishing rods and my trusty SLR Camera our adventure began. Admittedly, our first and only goal was to catch our dinner but to my excitement, one hour into the trip we came across the most beautiful feathered creature known to man—the Azure Kingfisher Alcedo azurea.

With plumage in full display this Azure flitted from one low lying branch to another keeping a sharp eye on the waters. Curiously watching for shoals of guppies and gudgens intended for its next meal the Azure Kingfisher plunged from overhanging perches into the water to catch its prey.

Whilst observing its eating habits that day it became obvious that this particular kingfisher wasn’t only eating for one. It seemed that there must be a reason for this unusually extreme appetite. After following the Azure slowly and stealthily up the river about 500 metres our questions were answered. There, in amongst the dead branches of a recently fallen iron bark, was to our delight the first of the Azure Kingfisher young we would sight and photograph that day.

After observing the parent bird continuing to fly back and forth to this particular young one feeding on demand, we started to wonder whether there was more than one fledgling. This one seemed to be rather young with its quills still yet to unroll on top of its head. Could there possibly be another?

It is a known fact that the Azure Kingfisher generally has clutches of 5−7 eggs with two clutches a year. Azure Kingfishers form monogamous pairs that defend a breeding territory—breeding season is September to January. Both parents share the task of incubation and feeding the chicks. The Azure nest is unique as it is usually at the end of a burrow, dug out of soil in a riverbank.

Sure enough, after watching the same parent bird for some time it eventually diverted its usual feeding path across the river to another secluded safe area covered and surrounded by vegetation. It was a second chick, this one was older—the plumage more vivid than the first and all feather quills were unrolled and in full bloom. The young chick was calling intently to the parent bird seeking its next meal.

This was a truly amazing sight, nature’s beauty at its best. Hopefully we will experience more wonderful sightings like this in future adventures.

                            

© ABK Publications