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.
