After about ten days the parents were observed picking up nesting material, particularly feathers and from previous experience this was an ominous sign of something going wrong, the parents wanting to nest again!!
knew something was happening by the constant coming and going of the parents.
Upon inspection I found three very small chicks so increased the feed to three or four hour intervals for the first week using mini mealworms to start with and later added wax moth larvae. After about ten days the parents were observed picking up nesting material, particularly feathers and from previous experience this was an ominous sign of something going wrong, the parents wanting to nest again!! I checked the box and could find only one healthy youngster, about ten days old, the others had just disappeared. They may have been covered by the fresh nesting material or just thrown out of the nest box. At this time we were experiencing an unusually prolonged spell of really hot weather and this, together with a plentiful supply of live food may have been the spur to produce again, before finishing the first clutch.
I decided to be positive and took the remaining youngster away for hand rearing which we successfully achieved using a hospital cage with low heat,
12 BIRD SCENE
the youngster being placed in a plastic tub with paper towels on the bottom to give grip and part cloth covering to replicate the darkness of nest box conditions. Feeding by syringe and tweezers every 3-4 hours with the last feed about 10.00pm and starting again at 6.00am – not a particularly good regime for those who still have to work I might add.
All went well, the youngster got used to the routine after the first 2 or 3 reluctant efforts and was always very excited at the sight of a wax worm. In addition mini mealworms and Orlux hand mix were used without difficulty and after about another two weeks the bird was fully feathered and trying to fly.
In the meantime the parents went down again, laying three eggs; the weather this time was getting back to something more like a normal British summer. In due course two eggs hatched and the parents fed the young very well, almost competing to feed the most food. I would say that the hen was the best, taking bunches of mealworms at one go – the cock usually one at a time.
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