Feverishly flipping through the glorious technicolour photographs in her Sasol Book of Birds, comparing the professional photos with her home snaps, she was excited to identify a female Golden Tailed Woodpecker as the new resident of No 1, Barbet Close.
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| Cool new digs, and no need to damage my beak-icure (geddit?!) |
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| Verily she gazes out upon her kingdom.. |
Expert opinion, in the form of her bird crazy dad, and more expertly, Duncan Butchart, local avian authority, confirmed the sighting. Duncan said that she was probably roosting for the winter in the conveniently 'ready to move in' nesting log. In spring, a mate would appear and they'd either leave or set up a family home.
Early mornings and late afternoons, the princess watched her newest subject staring out across the cool garden through the convenient doorway. A creature of habit, Goldie exiting between 17h15 and 17h30 every afternoon, thence scavenging on the bark of various trees in the garden.
The princess felt at one with the lonely little Gn T woodpecker (especially as Goldies initials coincided with the princess's favourite tipple) - both nests empty or nearly so. A kinship was forming...
Well, here we are, approaching Summer (tho' you'd never tell, we've morphed into the Lake District, or New Zealand, or Atlantis.....that's a blog for another day) and lo, Goldie remains in solitary splendour. Nary a sign of a mate, nor a move to more fertile fields. Will the princess and her faithful Gn T Woodpecker remain here til the end of their days, alone but never lonely, awaiting princes charming?
Who knows, and the fretting princess again consulted the expert, concerned that Gn T Woodies mate for life, and are monogamous. Duncan is puzzled, as the species is common around here, and even if Goldie is a widow, there are plenty of finely feathered batchelors about to collect her up and begin a new home. Apparently, monogamous and mating for life is just that - when 1 life is ended, the grieving widow
goes on the replacement prowl!
goes on the replacement prowl!
Goldie needs to watch out, however, as the Crested Barbets that raised a family of twins last year may wish to return to their home after an extended holiday. Mr CB will make short work of a squatter in his log...and if Goldie was lacking the skills or energy to create her own nest in the numerous tree trunks, then taking on an angry Mr CB may be beyond her delicate capabilities as well.
For now, she roosts, eats, sleeps and continues to gaze out of her stolen log, and is a source of pleasure to the princess, who enjoys almost daily chats to one of her prettiest subjects!
Visit Duncan's blog, Never a Gull Moment, for beautiful paintings and stories about his birding adventures. http://duncanbutchart.wordpress.com/
STOP PRESS UPDATE:
The best welcome home gift awaited the Princess on her return - Goldie has a mate! TWO Golden Tailed Woodpeckers happily tapping away on the log and branches!
fascinating do keep us posted re progress.
ReplyDeletegreat story and one which is sure to have new and exciting developments . . perhaps she'll abandon the hole to a starling or sparrow . . . and move elsewhere . . or maybe a male will come calling . . .
ReplyDeleteWell, the exciting development was short lived. I left her for 2 weeks, and returned to find a handsome male keeping her company. 4 weeks later, the woodpeckers have disappeared, and a pair of sparrows moved in. That barbet log is hot property, and now hosting it's third species!
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