Tag Archives: The Daisy Chronicles Day 15

The Daisy Chronicles Day 15

Oh, my goodness. I missed it. Sharon Dunne posted a video of the Lorikeets visiting yesterday but, in that video is a split second visit of Lady to the nest. She is chased by the Pied Currawong – they simply do not just harass the fledglings – they also harass the adult WBSE. Lady was more interested in the Currawong and did not notice Daisy’s nest. Lady was on the nest for just a blink, nothing more while Daisy was away foraging! ——— Seriously, this is one lucky duck!

I took that screen capture from Sharon’s video that is posted on YouTube. You can watch the entire visit of the Lorikeets and Lady. Thanks, Sharon! Here is the link:

It is Day 15 and is 17 December in Australia. Daisy has already had two breaks today. She appears to now be taking shorter breaks but more of them. She first left for foraging at 01:10 returning at 03:10. This departure is right in the middle of her usual foraging breaks.

She returns and spends time drying off her plumage so that the down will not stick to her wet feathers.

Her second break of Day 15 comes at 05:09:04. She returns at 06:36:15.

There is no indication that either of the White-bellied sea eagles came to the nest this morning while Daisy was away. The Lorikeets did return in mass to say good morning to Daisy.

Some of the Rainbow Lorikeets were climbing in the top of the tree. Maybe they will lossen some of those dry leaves so Daisy has some more material to cover those eggs.

So far, the Lorikeets and the Noisy Miners have been the only birds to visit — so far this morning! The possum has been moving about, too. It is no danger at all to Daisy just maybe to that fluffy down.

The shadows are across the big nest. You can hardly see Daisy but she is there.

Daisy is sleeping in the warm sunshine. Look at all that down. It looks like our smart and brave little duck is sleeping on a cloud of twinkling stars.

Oh, just look at that purple/blue sometimes green (depending on the light0 wing pattern. How beautiful.

Daisy is very content to sleep and do her little wiggle moving the eggs. She takes time to fix the down, move the leaves, and sleep. Did you notice that there are a few more leaves that have fallen down to the nest?

Thank you cam operator for these great close ups!

The Lorikeets are returning to the tree. You can just see one on either side in the middle ground. You can hear more of them in the background.

What amazing colour patterns these beautiful birds have!

I hope that they climb around on the branches above Daisy. They could really help with leaf collection.

They must be so curious about this quiet little duck who has taken on a ‘time lease’ on the WBSE nest. They have been coming to visit more often each day.

The camera operator checked the Parramatta River. One of the WBSE – Lady or Dad – is on the River Roost!

Sometimes Daisy’s eye gives her away. Despite the fact that she has her beak tucked in behind her wing as if she is sleeping, she is very much alert and away. Has she heard something in the forest that concerns her?

I love how the leaves are getting tangled in with the down. Better camouflage to help conceal those eggs.

It is after lunch and so far all has gone well. Our little brave duck has weathered today with two breaks. I hope that she can wait til sunset to go for her last one of the day. Sunset today is 20:03. No showers or rain in the forecast. The temperature is 23 – a far cry from the 40 degrees C last time she had a clutch of eggs. Join me in wishing Daisy an uneventful afternoon incubating eggs!

Thank you so much for joining me today to check on our brave little duck. We might have to start calling her the ‘brave lucky duck’. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the Sea Eagles@BirdLife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures.

The Daisy Chronicles, Day 14-15

It is 15:00 in the Sydney Olympic Forest. You can hear the old Ironbark Tree creaking as the 23 kph winds twist the branches about. It sounds like old doors that need to be oiled. The gusts seem to be more. Daisy seems undaunted. I cannot hear any bird vocalizations in the forest.

The camera operator checked to see if the Sea Eagles were at the River Roost. There was one bird – WBSE or Gull? – flying over the Parramatta River. It is that white dot against the far dark trees up at the top – almost in the middle of the background.

I continue to keep in my mind that last year we kept saying, ‘If Daisy had only come in late November or December.’ Gosh, we surely got that wish this year. But, this year feels like a ‘cake walk’ compared to last year. (Still I do not want to get complacent – anything can happen!) I don’t think anyone slept while Daisy was on the nest. We did not know how the Sea Eagles would react – we didn’t know when they would be coming to try and catch Daisy. You could almost see the steam coming off the top of Dad’s head last year trying to ‘catch’ whatever bird was brave or stupid enough to lay their eggs in ‘his’ nest. I am posting one of my blogs from last year. Every moment was tense. In the image below, Dad has landed on the nest. You can see that Daisy had no time to cover her eggs!

Daisy had only a split second to get off the nest and no time to conceal her eggs.

https://wordpress.com/post/maryannsteggles.com/2957

People from around the world were cheering this brave duck. There is another difference this year also. The temperatures. It is 23 degrees C today. Last time Daisy had eggs on this nest, it rose to 40 degrees C. The sun was so hot she had to leave frequently for breaks and she often left in the middle of the afternoon. That is how the Ravens got the eggs. This time it appears it is after sunset and before sunrise that could at least hold off the Ravens. Maybe there is a ‘finishing school’ for future duck mothers???

The weather forecast has now posted a 40% chance of a shower – not rain – with the winds gusting to 30 kph. Here is a very short video clip of our little Daisy – gosh, she looks tiny in that big tree – as it is swaying with the gusts.

I am not expecting anything to happen – famous last words – until Daisy leaves for her evening break. Sunset is at 20:03.

Daisy surprised me and left at 17:22:30 for her evening foraging. This was two and a half hours before sunset! This is unusual compared to her pattern. She did spend considerable time covering up her eggs and she appeared to be looking for more leaves.

Off she goes! That blur of feathers under the branch on the right.

I had convinced myself that I could fall asleep and wake up and check that Daisy had returned and the eggs and her were both alright. The problem was she left too early. Who would come to get those eggs? Would the ravens be around on a quick fly through before roosting? Normally Daisy departs for her break right at sunset. So I waited with a pot of spiced tea, a box of shortbread, and Mark Bittman’s recipe for No-Knead Bread from The New York Times. Our forecast was for thin layers of freezing rain – the kind that covers everything but you can’t see it. Black Ice. And then snow as the temperature plunges from -1 to -14. Daisy is enjoying cooler temperatures than her incubation time last year. It was 19 C during the evening and early morning hours.

Daisy did return and no one bothered the nest. She was a very lucky little duck. She landed back on the nest at 19:43:23 ——- 20 minutes before sunset.

Oh, I hope we get some close ups today. Just look at the down – it must feel good compared to those hard sticks.

Doesn’t she look adorable?

It is 04:16:00 and Daisy has not left for her morning break. She fooled me yesterday by slipping out for a quick foraging trip at 04:46. I wonder if she will do that today?

Daisy flew off the nest at 05:09:04. She spent considerable time before leaving covering up her eggs.

And she is off! Daisy is a Dabbler. I hope that she finds lots of yummy plants to enjoy.

In the background you could hear the Noisy Miners and Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo easily over the hum of the camera. The forest is waking up just as Daisy is leaving. They are particularly loud this morning. I wonder if they alerted her that she should get going?

The cam operator gave us some beautiful shots of Daisy’s nest covering. Thank you!

Sunrise is at 05:39. Yesterday Daisy was back on the nest a little after 06:00. Fingers crossed.

It is Day 15 of the Daisy Chronicles and so far all is well.

Thank you so much for joining me. I will bring an update on Daisy in about six or seven hours. Let us hope that today is as uneventful as all the others. Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the Sea Eagle @Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots.