Some brief field notes to share with you.
10/9/11 – saw 2 small head moving inside the nest.
19/9/11 – chick still inside the nest.
20/9/11 – saw one chick fledged. No sign from the other chick. Check the nest through scope, no movement. I started to scanned trees nearby and bamboo tree, no sign of it. Suspect something wrong with the other chick.
Weather was overcastting. Lighting was very bad.
Observations start from 8.15am – 12.45pm
8.15am – Male was at the opposite field hunting. Female flew out from the nest tree and joined the male by perching next tree away from him. About 5 mins. later she flies back and perch on a wire near the nest tree.
I was about 30 m away from the nest tree. I used the bino to check at the nesting tree. I noticed many movements inside the tree with the female flying in and out. Many leaves and branches were blocked for viewing. I saw male was at open field and female either inside the tree or resting on the wire near the nest tree. Still I saw some movements inside even though I can’t be sure what made those movements. I suspect one chick or many two has walk out from the nest.
9.30am – Female flies out away from the nest tree and I took the opportunity to walk over to the nest below to check for any pellet/s or prey thrown out from the nest. While checking on the ground I heard a soft call chirp, chirp, chirp….. I look straight up and saw one young fledgling still trying to balance from the tiny branch he/she has grabbed on it. One of the parents made alarm called from the open field and flies back to the bamboo tree [pix 5787]. I spent another 1 minute to look for pellet but I couldn’t find any ( because I was in a hurry to move away ) but instead I took a pic [5796] shown faeces just relieved from the fledgling when I was still under the nest. About 2 feet away from the fresh faeces [from the chick] I saw bigger patched of faeces and suspect this was done by parents. I walk away for parents to continue bringing back food for the young fledgling.
9.50am – Young fledgling finally flew out from the nest tree [pix 5803]. It probably took the young fledgling more than 1.5 hr or maybe longer time to flies out from the nest tree to the open. It was perching on the wire near the nest tree where parents used to rest on it. Parents were trying to call fledgling back to the nest tree [because I was there]. Fledgling was too excited to see the new surrounding until the female came back with a small lizard. Female tried to coached chick back to the nest tree by flying in and out.
10.41am – Finally the fledgling fly back inside the nest tree [pix 6011]. Less than 2 minutes after female fed the small lizard to the chick, it flew out and landed on the wire again.
Btw, many marking to study on this young fledgling who really want to know of their young plumage.
Note : Suspect chick walk out from the nest this morning because young fledgling held the tiny branch still shaking unsteadily.
connie khoo siew yoong 