Showing posts with label green ants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green ants. Show all posts

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Am I my Baza's keeper?

Here's the quandary. Friday morning, juvenile Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata) 25 metres below the nest, behind the Tyto info centre. Nest tree one of several towering paperbarks on small island connected by metal footbridges in landscaped lagoon precinct surrounded by Ingham suburbia and football ground. No way to get bird up into the trees. What to do? Interfere only as last resort. Back off. Let nature do its job. Return twice later in day and first find bird on concrete pillar in lagoon and then in small tree beside lagoon. 


Early Saturday morning no sight or sound of Bazas, but late in morning and here's junior in bigger trouble. Bird's travelled 200 metres west from nest island, and become grounded in long grass in an area swarming with green ants. What to do? Nature can be too cruel. Toss plastic parka over bird. Pick all the (now getting angry) ants off. 


No sign of parent birds, so put junior up into the small tree from evening before. Today, juvenile Baza calls coming from deep within trees in flooded section of the wetlands. It's up to the parents now.    
Click pix to enlarge

Lament for southern Black-throated Finches

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