A zest for nests – Willie Wagtail pair builds four скачать в хорошем качестве

A zest for nests – Willie Wagtail pair builds four

This pair of Willie Wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys) was filmed between early October and mid November 2018 in the Capertee Valley, NSW. In that time we witnessed the creation of four nests in the house zone of a rural property (seen in the opening photo). We are familiar with Willie Wagtail nesting behaviour as we filmed another pair (in Cornwallis, NSW) rearing two consecutive broods alongside turf farms and a road:    • Wonderful Willie Wagtails – From eggs to f...   and    • One Tree Two Nests Eight Chicks – Willie W...   It is also possible that they used the same nest for a third brood, albeit with nest renovation. (The nests look very saggy after the brood fledges.) But for the Capertee Valley pair, the story is quite different. When we first met them in early October they were finishing off a nest in a mini gazebo built especially for nesting birds. This was documented here:    • Up close with Willie Wagtails building a nest   At the time we noted that the nest was less vulnerable to certain types of predation (e.g. Lace Monitor) and that some avian threats might be discouraged by the closeness to human habitation. Turns out that a pair of Grey Shrike-thrush, a renowned nest raider, also built a nest thereabouts – on the side of the house facing the mini gazebo. When we looked for the Willie Wagtail nest at the next visit (less than 20 days later) the nest structure was destroyed. It is possible the pair abandoned this location before laying eggs or perhaps the eggs were eaten/damaged by a predator. We also discovered that one reason for the ruined nest was the pair themselves; they were using the nesting material for a new nest in a large Yellow Box (eucalypt) on the other side of the house. However, this option must have failed as well. When we returned about 20 days later (close to mid November) the tree nest had disappeared and the old hills hoist was hosting it instead. But wait...the Willie Wagtail pair are already dismantling this third nest! Given the timeline so far it looks like no broods have been raised in three new nests in three different locations (albeit all in the vicinity of the pictured cottage). From egg-laying to fledging takes approximately 28 days. We then watched the dynamic duo take material from the clothesline nest into an open shed. They were well-advanced in the construction of a nest on a wooden beam at the very back of this shed. It was as if they were thinking, surely no predator will find us THIS TIME. From our human perspective, it was definitely the most hidden and protected of their nesting attempts. Ideally, the chicks should be sighted to confirm any expectation of success, but our return was delayed. On this occasion the gap was about five weeks – more than enough time for the pair to complete that nest and raise a family. The good news is that a juvenile was glimpsed during that visit and again recently (sunbathing on the house deck). We think it’s very likely that both sightings are offspring from our determined little video-stars. In any case, it is fascinating to see the nesting adventures of two Willie Wagtail pairs in different rural locations. We have to be careful drawing conclusions, but we wondered whether the wildlife diversity of the Capertee Valley site made a difference to breeding success. For instance, the turf farms with scattered vegetation in Cornwallis don’t support the open forest or woodland-dwelling Grey Shriike-thrush. Other predators are also absent (e.g. Lace Monitor) or limited there. Additionally, the low-level Cornwallis nest was well-hidden from raptors overhead yet awkward for feral or domestic cats. Possibly the Pied Currawong was the biggest threat and was also seen in Capertee Valley. But the Cornwallis nest was well away from treed corridors that would attract Pied Currawongs. For more information on wonderful Willie Wagtails go to http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/speci...