A Wasted month

For several years we have watched as our resident tawny frog-mouth pair have successfully raised their young.

While these birds are not brightly coloured, and are nocturnal, they do appear to like living close to us.  Admittedly we have many gum trees with rough bark that mimics their colour.  From a distance it is difficult to see them perching on a branch as they blend so well.

This year I noted with great interest a next high above not far from the back door.  Aha, babies soon! 

Over the years it became apparent that eggs [one or two] were laid on an extremely basic nest on, or close to full moon, and the chicks hatched out on the next full moon.

We came home from shopping late last week to discover a bundle of white fluff lying on the ground below the nest.  Oh dear!  The chick hatched and ?  Not sure if it died upon contact with the outside world but there it was cold and unmoving on the ground with flies hovering.  I quickly buried it.

The parent stayed on the nest which was great news ... there must be another egg to hatch.

Full moon last night; the darkness of night lit up by a huge full moon.  At dusk the parent left the nest [they are nocturnal], and this morning I couldn't see the parent.  Why?

Then I looked down and a few metres from the nest another bundle of white fluff lay lifeless.  Another burial took place.

Hopefully this pair will try again and we will once again be enthralled watching as the little chick grows before it is sent out into the big wide world a few months later.

The photo is of a successful hatching a few years ago.

 

I do hope that by Christmas the parent will have a chick to feed and will not have another wasted month sitting on eggs that end in disaster.