Getting closer to the ledge

I’ve caught up!  Thanks so much for Arjen’s videos which filled in gaps on the weekend and yesterday.

The preferred diet over the last few days has been juvenile starlings and galahs (these are large pink and silver cockatoos).  Plus one eastern rosella.  These parrots are very common, fortunately.   The starlings are barely a snack, but good practice for plucking and self-feeding.  The galahs are such a good feed, the little ones usually fall into a huddle afterwards.

The sisters (Mell and Rubi) are usually the first to grab a prey, but little Vim got one ‘small lump’ (of undetermined origin) first, before it was promptly taken from him by one of his sisters.  Eventually he was able to grab a starling and was able to eat it all himself and he usually picks over the remains of the larger prey.   He has also been the boldest.  Whilst all chicks are getting very close to the ledge, he has been the first to (almost) stand on it.  His juvenile plumage is almost complete.

 

prey grabbed by female chick
prey grabbed by female chick

 

Here is a video of a family scene complete with the stepfather jumping over chicks and feathers flying everywhere.

20161110-legs-of-star-whole-family

This morning we had a possible visitor.  I assumed at first it was Xavier, but the bird landed awkwardly on the outer ledge, which was indication that it was unfamiliar with the site and did not have the confidence to come in.  There are a couple of stills and a MKV video.     I’ve put a picture of Xavier for comparison.

 

Is this Xavier
Is this Xavier

20161110-a-visitor-q-13 20161110-a-visitor-q-14 20161110-a-visitor-q

Xavier close up
Xavier close up

 

Let me know what you think.    I’ll be looking in most afternoons to measure our youngsters’ progress, on track so far, despite the odds.

Cilla

7 thoughts

  1. Call of the wild
    November 10, 2016 Shepnotes 7 pm in Oz
    LQQK at our kids! They have all shaken off a lot of down and have lots of rich brown feathers!
    Vim, the little male, will likely fledge this month and be gone from our sight. Some can calculate the exact days, I cant. That is when Xavier will prove the most valuable guarding him, hopefully.

    All 3 hear the call of the wild. Often fledglings will spend a few nights out there in that grove we see, and return a few days later when they are strong enough to fly UP. Vim will be happy to eat in peace away from sisters! HA! 😉
    I loved that book – Call of the wild

  2. 15:16 Prey 3, youtu.be/xwtr3HEaGog

    Thank you for the sound video’s, Cilla. youtu.be/ZAPpY-fmLMs

    I think also this is a visitor, Xavier is behaving different, he isn’t so shy. 🙂

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