Aftermath...Epilogue...Heroics of a White Wagtail

Part I

Summer’s here,

It’s time for mating

Shelter’s near,

Nest a making

Coast is clear,

Eggs a laying

Part II

Cat is here,

Eggs Defending

Knows no fear,

Went down fighting

Nest is clear

Eggs not hatching…

Tragic…

Found. Mother defeathered, only wings remain...

Guess it is all finally over. The mother, or father, is dead. Unlikely to be the father, for he is usually perched high up the branches.

We have a classic example of a 'sitting duck', or 'sitting bird', in this case. Must have appeared as appetising to a passing pariah cat as the poster of a piping hot KFC Drumstick would be to us. But the sheer brutality of the crime calls for the murderous cat to be skinned alive, not before dismembering it first. Have never been a lover for cats, because they are simply too haughty. Very aloof, and non-chalant for the values of life. And they have a penchant for stealing food, alive or otherwise.

Heart wrenching, as the reality begins to sink in... Tears rolled down my cheeks when I finally discovered the truth. I had to crawl under the foliage to seek out the remains... and was rewarded with what I dreaded to see. Feathers strewn all over the place, in a radius of up to 1 meter. The 2 wings with feathers intact, and the long tail...confirming that IT is the wagtail's. Now the eggs will be mine to hatch. How will I feed them? Will they live to fly the nest? Will they even hatch?

This is the reality of life. While one tends to the next generation, in full anticipation of the joys one's young brings, tragedy strikes. All ends in tatters, in this case, literally... Birds fight to the death, defending their young, be they only eggs. We humans, purportedly the masters over the beasts from the air to the sea, ditch our young, in seek for a better life. aka. sending kids to orphanages, homes, etc...

I have learnt some valuable lessons here. I will defend my other half at all times, and no harm shall come to her. The frailty of life requires us to enjoy each and every moment, to treasure those around us, while they are still around us...

TRAGICAL THEATRICALS!

Just as with most love stories, most too-good-to-be-true stories...The ending is often contrary to the anticipated

We have for so long been told of the age old maxim; 'Never count your chickens before they hatch'
This is really true indeed. The waggie mommy and daddy has apparently left the brood, flew the nest. It's day 13, the day the eggs are due to hatch asynchronisedly, one by one. But the incubation is sabotaged. Some form of family tragedy appears to have taken place, because the parents have disappeared!

What could have possibly taken place overnight? To cut a long story short, the parents have taken turns to sit on the cute little eggs daily and night over the last 2 weeks. Till last night, that is...

Let us explore on the various possibilities:-

Perhaps both got caught in some bird-trap while foraging? Captured by some conniving toddler or teenager? Tails sniped and feet tied?

Perhaps they flew so high, and ended up inside the turbines of a JAL liner?

Perhaps the daddy got sick of guarding the nest, and went for another 'chick'(no pun intended)?

Perhaps the mommy suffered from Post Natal Depression and killed herself and the daddy?

Or perhaps I stared at them too much, and disturbed their peace, that they simply couldnt take it no more?

Perhaps the eggs took too long, and the mommy knew that they will never hatch...therefore, no point wasting more time on them?

whatever it is...I am still hopeful that the parents will return. Call me naive. But I am adamant, that they will return...

It is the existence of hope that keeps the world alive.

The Chronicles of Birdia Part 4

So, it has been raining yesterday and today... but tucked safely away in a corner of a concrete building, a nest, a home made of twigs and roots, stay high and dry.

The mother has been sitting in the nest for the better part of the day. And the daddy, perched high on the branches of a nearby tree, enduring the piercing pain from the arrows of raindrops, shooting down from the heavens above.

This is a touching scene, as everyone plays their part. Hatching and guarding the future generation. That's the norm of the animal kingdom. If only our women learn to sit in the nest more...our men will surely safeguard her and her children? Probably... we will never know. But I won't mind sitting on the nest, at least I will be dry:P

In a rare moment, the mother left her nest for a flyabout...she has learnt to co-exist with me. Acknowledging me as part of the family. Well, I am the grandpa, aint I?

I 'hatched' the burning plot that was on my mind since day one... Hehehe, I took all them eggs out of the nest! One by one, I put them on a ruler and measured them...


Huh? five eggs? Hmm... did I not tell you about the fifth egg yet? Oh ok... YES! ANOTHER EGG IS LAID! Birthday of EGG FIVE 8th June 2006

Each egg is 2cm long weigh about 10 grams, and all look alike, now I will never know which is my First Grandkid. Well, they will hatch right? The first to hatch will be the first grandkid then.

The mother is outside, staring and glaring at me, for stealing her babies. Relax, I tell her. I am not about to fry them yet. So shrill is her screeching I think my eardrums will burst. I am getting worried... Will she peck me or scratch me? Regardless, I have taken the measurements, so back into the nest they go.

Immediately, the mother swooped into the nest, counting the eggs and then sit on them once more. Whew, that was close, she said... ermmm... she didnt really say, I said...

Birdnest V1.50

Guess there won't be more eggs, as the nest looks full. It's incubation time from now on. Will keep posting once there are further developments. Meanwhile, I'm off to my eggs and toast. Chicken eggs, not bird eggs...

The Chronicles of Birdia Part 3

How time flies... We are now into the 4th day of the Chonicles of Birdia. Hehe, everything's doing fine, the mother's doing well too.

This morning, when I went to see them, the babies, erm,... the eggs I mean, I was shocked to see the mother sitting there. Staring back at me. Ha! The truth is out, them eggs do need to be incubated. Hahaha, what was I thinking? That they will hatch by themselves? Like some roach egg? These are full warm blooded birds we are talking about... Hello!

MOMMY IN NEST

Back to the part when I looked at the nest, and the mommy birdie stared back at me. I felt so warm and comforted. So blissful, this feeling is beyond description. With her in the nest, it means it is done, the laying of the eggs. Now it is hatching time...

But wait... she needs to take a leak, I guess, and flew off the nest. Lo and behold! EGG NUMBER FOUR! WOWEE!!!! Was she laying the egg, when she stared at me, or was she hatching the eggs? Back to square one again... No conclusive study on the hatching method. Birthday of EGG FOUR 7th June 2006

Birdnest v1.40

The anticipation of 4 hatched birdlings, birdlets, birdpoles, birdfants, whatever you call them, is growing each day. Me, grandpa to 4 kids:)) Just wonder if they will return next summer to lay more eggs? Maybe baby birds are called chicks? Chicklets, chicklings, chickpoles, chickfants?

If only these were swallows making birds nest...if only...

The Chronicles of Birdia Part 2

So it came to pass... that the parents of the eggs are identified. The hype is building, I am all anxious and excited now. Why? Well, I am going to be a grandfather to the birds... hehe, sort of.

Well, for all out there who are following the Chronicles, there is another egg in the nest! Hahaha...They say, two's a couple, three's a crowd. I say, the more the merrier! Birthday of EGG THREE 6th June 2006

Birdnest v1.30

There are hundreds upon thousands of houses in my area, yet my window was chosen for this pair of love birds. That must bode well for my future? I have tried looking around for other wagtails, but seems that these are the only 2 within sighting range.

Wonder when will the mommy finish nourishing herself, before she returns to the nest, to hatch the eggs. Hmm... do they hatch by themselves, I wonder? Or do they need to be incubated? Well, with such close proximity, I will find out real soon. This is a real lesson on the birth of a Wagtail. Sob* sob*, feel so honoured to be the window ledge seleted by them..so proud.

Till the 'nest' time, or next egg, ciao!

The Chronicles of Birdia 1 a

DADDY WAGTAIL

Wow, a trip back home after a meeting and the truth is finally revealed! The parents of the egg in the nest have been identified! The daddy was found perched on a high branch, screeching away when he saw me, probably saying, 'hey! thanks for blogging the birth of our kiddos' NOT! The mother was no where to be found, till I went back to look at the nest... there she was, sitting on the nest:)) That's why I know the screeching one was the father... me no 'birdologist' man...She flew away the moment she saw me, why else don't I have a pic of her in the nest?

MOMMY WAGTAIL

It is now officially eggs! Another egg has been laid! (First there was one, then there were two...)The second egg looks a little smaller as compared to the first. Guess it is contingency plan. In case EGG 1 don't hatch, there is always EGG 2.

BIRDNEST V1.20

I am all excited now... with the impending chirping of baby wagtails. Birthday of EGG TWO 5th June 2006.

Just did a 'wiki' on wagtails, hope all who are following this Chronicles will find it informative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_wagtail

Till tomorrow comes, ...

The Chronicles of Birdia Part I

...In the last episode, we talked about the indestructible will of DADDY BIRDIE. And it isn't hard to realise why. You wanna know why?

Bird Nest V1.10

YES! The wife couldn't wait to drop her little egg into a safe place! This is like a reality show! Hahaha... a birth in the house. That makes me a grandpa? Hmm... better not count my chickens...correction, birds before they hatch. Birthday of EGG ONE 4th June 2006

How long more before it hatches, I wonder. Haven't seen the parents yet, but must be the wagtails that I saw outside before. They lay their eggs past midnight. How unusual. Will leave this precious little egg to the law of nature. Will not eat it... yet.

Stay tuned for more of 'The Chronicles of Birdia'... unless, a typhoon strikes the nest off it's location. Then it will be 'The End of Birdia'.
.....

It's the time of the Year!

Wow, this is Discovery Channel 'live'. It may be a daily affair to some of you, but to a city dweller like me, this is most unusual.

White Wagtail

Around 2 weeks ago, a pair of birds, now identified as the White Wagtail, we seen playing, or mating? outside my toilet window. Last week, to my horror and surprise! There was a nest built in the crack between my toilet window and the grill. I waited for a week, nothing happened. And suddenly, I was worried about the bird crap and noise and feathers that will pollute my house.

Empty Nest V1.0

That prompted me to do the inevitable. CLEAN UP! I took the nest and trashed it, vacuumed the place and disinfected it....THREE TIMES... because everytime I cleaned it up, a new nest will be there the very next morning. Since then, I left it alone. Waiting anxiously now, to welcome the new birth to the household... well, technically, it is 'outside' the household. hehe, doesnt matter ... we're family now.