Post by melissa on Oct 5, 2014 19:42:23 GMT 10
Hi everyone,
Alex and I just got back from Honeymooning in Port Douglas, had a lot of fun up there birdwatching, snorkelling, bushwalking etc.
Anyway, we came home to find our Red-rumps nesting (no surprises there, they will breed in and on everything), EXCEPT they had stolen the cockatiel box, and the cockatiels were therefore forced to use the princess box, and the poor princess's, well they didn't know what to do.
We set up our old aviary and had to do a bit of reshuffling, so swapped everyone and their eggs out of the breeding aviary into the standing aviary except for the Princess Parrot pair. All have taken well to the reshuffling except the cockatiels who abandoned their eggs. No worries there though, I might let her rest this year as I think she might be getting on a bit in age now.
Well our Princess's have never bred, last year the Red-rumps took over their nestbox, but since the swapping and shifting we have one very happy Merlin and Grace. They are currently sitting on six eggies, the first three I know are viable, I'll give it a little longer to find out if the other three are too. And I must say wow are they looking good, Merlin is just in his prime, his colours are vibrant, and he is so happy. Gracie looks fantastic too, such a devoted mother.
I will admit I only thought they would have three or four eggs for a first clutch, and I was not expecting any viable ones anyway as I had never seen them mate, until about a week ago, on the floor of the aviary, very discreetly. Nothing like the Cockatiels, who will mate anywhere, even on my knees once :S
I hope all goes to plan, I am super-excited!
Cheers,
Melissa
Alex and I just got back from Honeymooning in Port Douglas, had a lot of fun up there birdwatching, snorkelling, bushwalking etc.
Anyway, we came home to find our Red-rumps nesting (no surprises there, they will breed in and on everything), EXCEPT they had stolen the cockatiel box, and the cockatiels were therefore forced to use the princess box, and the poor princess's, well they didn't know what to do.
We set up our old aviary and had to do a bit of reshuffling, so swapped everyone and their eggs out of the breeding aviary into the standing aviary except for the Princess Parrot pair. All have taken well to the reshuffling except the cockatiels who abandoned their eggs. No worries there though, I might let her rest this year as I think she might be getting on a bit in age now.
Well our Princess's have never bred, last year the Red-rumps took over their nestbox, but since the swapping and shifting we have one very happy Merlin and Grace. They are currently sitting on six eggies, the first three I know are viable, I'll give it a little longer to find out if the other three are too. And I must say wow are they looking good, Merlin is just in his prime, his colours are vibrant, and he is so happy. Gracie looks fantastic too, such a devoted mother.
I will admit I only thought they would have three or four eggs for a first clutch, and I was not expecting any viable ones anyway as I had never seen them mate, until about a week ago, on the floor of the aviary, very discreetly. Nothing like the Cockatiels, who will mate anywhere, even on my knees once :S
I hope all goes to plan, I am super-excited!
Cheers,
Melissa