3 Babies Gone!

2017, 6 Jan

We were just discussing how demanding and noisy the baby Pardalotes are, and how the parents must be exhausted – about time for the kids to leave home – when we heard one of the parents calling loudly, then there was a ‘thud, thud’ at the big lounge room window (the only bit we’d left uncovered) and there were 2 babies on the floor at the bottom, against the glass. 

I moved the CD rack out so I could reach them, and one fluttered up to land on the bottom of the high windows. It sat there, undecided, but that’s where the parents often come in, so I figured if it stayed there, Mum or Dad would show up soon with food for their demanding youngsters.

I gently picked up the second baby as it fluttered at the glass of the big window, and took it outside. As soon as I opened my hand, it flew up into a nearby branch, perched for several seconds, then flew up and vanished into the trees.

The first baby was still sitting on the bottom of the high window frame at the lounge end, and one of the parents came in at that spot (above the window), sat for half a minute, then flew out again. 

Baby didn’t get the message, and sat there looking unsure what to do.

Video 

I went back to the nest at the other end and checked the nest hole – obviously still 2 or 3 babies there, judging by the noise. I heard a whirr of wings, and the baby had flown back to the nest end of the house, perching on the bottom of the high window frame, near the nest.

Mum/Dad came in for a ‘garbage run’, going in to the nest and flying out with a ‘poo pack’ in its beak, which it dropped in its confusion when it saw me standing below, and baby at the window. It flew out above the windows, and several seconds later baby no. 2 followed it outside.

Video

We thought about covering up the end window, but thought it was probably good to have one accessible spot where the babies may go, so they could be easily caught taken outside if necessary. Later on, I put a lace curtain over the gap, though, so there was still 'outside'visible, but there was a bit of protection from flying into the hard glass. 

All was relatively quiet for a bit, with just the outbreak of querulous peeping and squeaking when a parent arrived with food.

About half an hour later, there was another thud and a third baby was at the bottom of the end big window. I managed to catch it as it tried to flutter through the glass, and took it outside. It sat in my hand for a minute or so, then flew up to a low branch and preened itself vigorously. There was a lot of scratching going on; maybe there were some little parasites in the crowded nest hole.

A few minutes later, another Pardalote flew to the branch, and the two flew away together. I don’t know if it was a parent or baby; there was no noise made by either, but it was good to see that they had found each other.