Monday, October 11, 2010

Crimson Finches beat the ants

Male Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton) by nest hole in trunk of paperbark outside the Tyto hide on Saturday. Seems the ants that took over the hole have given it up, as hoped. No evidence of birds actually attacking the ants.


Perhaps, though, just to be on safe side, Crimsons are building another nest in a fork a little above the hole but obscured from the hide.


Male was doing some weekend posing alongside the tree, amid blustery breezes and plenty of stiff showers. (More rain yesterday and even heavier falls overnight.)   
Click pix to enlarge   

5 comments:

Martin C said...

Really beautiful photos Tony. That last one is wonderfully sharp.

Martin

Snail said...

Hope you're not getting too wet at Tyto.

Lovely pics --- as always. That second one makes it clear that crimson finches think nest-building is serious business.

Gouldiae said...

G'day Tony,
You know how to improve the morning coffee - love the Crimson, (any), Finches.
From a few posts ago - yep, I do have trouble at times with multiple image loading. Often lose one and have to reload mid composition.
Gouldiae.

Tyto Tony said...

Thanks Martin. I'm having a few problems with soft images lately. Arm muscles, and eyes, losing to age.

Hi Barbara: I've declared it an early Wet. So have many nesting birds, I think.

Gidday Gouldiae: Happy to provide Crimsons. Re pix, I assume they've been tinkering with Blogger in draft.

Tyto Tony said...

Ooops, sorry Bronwen.

Head up for dragonfly, head off for fish head . . .

One moment it's dragonfly trying to dance on White-bellied Sea-Eagle's head, the next it's all go for fisher's discarded fis...