Egg City
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:46 pm
My African flight has gone largely ignored except for daily feedings of seed, sprouted seed, greens and fly dumps. Their flight is large, and it takes up the better part of my dining area. In fact, I had to turn the table sideways. This is part of a great room, and the sectional is across on the other side of the space. Most people would find me odd, but I actually have a pair of binoculars that I will "spy" on the finches with from across the room, so, you know, I won't be conspicuous and make them feel that I'm looking at them, because they really don't like that. They would be perfectly happy if I completely ignored them all the time and let them do their thing. Well, here lately, that's really what I've been doing.
The firefinches have been going in and out of nests, which, for them, is actually unusual, at least for this past year that I've had them. One pair of gold breasted waxbills had an unsuccessful clutch early on in our history together, and then I moved everyone around, the GBWs had a major molt, and, frankly, I gave up on them ever having another clutch. Later on I found another gorgeous pair of GBWs and added them to the mix. I thought, well, maybe they would get it on and spread the love. Nada.
Then I have the crazy RCCBs who just toss babies, when I let them have them. This last time I found a dead chick, I didn't even know they had any. There is so much greenery in this flight that birds will literally disappear into never never land. They like it this way. It makes it a pain to be a spy, though.
Well, I had been noticing the firefinches acting a bit differently, so I started paying a bit more attention than usual. I decided to get snoopy. I know, bad. I just stuck my phone camera up to the hole of one of the nests and blindly snapped a photo. EGGS! Now, whose are they? Your guess is as good as mine, because tonight one of the GBWs was in there, and I thought maybe the firefinches were maybe doing something. I checked another nest. (BTW, I have no idea how many nests they have built, because it is a veritable condominium in there), BAM, more eggs. And over in the corner in an open type of nest, another pair of GBWs are sitting together inside. They almost never do this. So I'm really wondering what they got cookin' too.
All this after I had really given up and decided to start the austerity diet for the fall/winter and pick back up in the spring. I don't know if anything will come of all these eggs, but now I have to rethink my whole strategy. I'm going to have to go buy waxworms now, because, well, I now have to obsess about are they getting enough live food to feed babies should they have any hatch out. Good grief, and I thought I was going to be taking a break once the society babies were fledged.
The firefinches have been going in and out of nests, which, for them, is actually unusual, at least for this past year that I've had them. One pair of gold breasted waxbills had an unsuccessful clutch early on in our history together, and then I moved everyone around, the GBWs had a major molt, and, frankly, I gave up on them ever having another clutch. Later on I found another gorgeous pair of GBWs and added them to the mix. I thought, well, maybe they would get it on and spread the love. Nada.
Then I have the crazy RCCBs who just toss babies, when I let them have them. This last time I found a dead chick, I didn't even know they had any. There is so much greenery in this flight that birds will literally disappear into never never land. They like it this way. It makes it a pain to be a spy, though.
Well, I had been noticing the firefinches acting a bit differently, so I started paying a bit more attention than usual. I decided to get snoopy. I know, bad. I just stuck my phone camera up to the hole of one of the nests and blindly snapped a photo. EGGS! Now, whose are they? Your guess is as good as mine, because tonight one of the GBWs was in there, and I thought maybe the firefinches were maybe doing something. I checked another nest. (BTW, I have no idea how many nests they have built, because it is a veritable condominium in there), BAM, more eggs. And over in the corner in an open type of nest, another pair of GBWs are sitting together inside. They almost never do this. So I'm really wondering what they got cookin' too.
All this after I had really given up and decided to start the austerity diet for the fall/winter and pick back up in the spring. I don't know if anything will come of all these eggs, but now I have to rethink my whole strategy. I'm going to have to go buy waxworms now, because, well, I now have to obsess about are they getting enough live food to feed babies should they have any hatch out. Good grief, and I thought I was going to be taking a break once the society babies were fledged.
