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Post by Hezz on Sept 23, 2018 10:02:13 GMT
Mr Tom Chook has been verrrry busy building his nest right under our bathroom window .... meaning all mulch previously put anywhere has been walked, scratched and thrown into the garden bed around our yellow saraca tree, which just happens to be under our bathroom window. This morning I was sooo sure that Ms Scrub Turkey Hen was moving in to lay (she had the whole "I have an egg ready to drop" posture) but Mr Tomas decided that the nest wasn't quite ready to be an incubator. He scratched and scrabbled and stamped and scrimmaged to make everything into the littlest piece possible, but after watching him for half an hour, I figured that I really needed to get on with my own day. He has gathered dead leaves from near and far to top up the nest but really his Irish Dance routine in the centre of the nest could only be seen to be believed. If I had known he was going to go on for s long I would definitely gone for the camera. Anyway, it would seem that this nest is going to be the real deal (they do build dumby ones) and we might have more exciting updates in the near future. I was soooo sure I was going to witness an egg laying, but obviously the nest was not quite up to scratch (ha ha). Oh hum, maybe soon.
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,808
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Sept 23, 2018 10:53:09 GMT
How lovely, it's nice that Mr Tomas is helping out with the nest Gathering things and arranging them like a giant Meep
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Post by Shirls on Sept 23, 2018 15:09:21 GMT
Oh that's brilliant news Hezz. Shall look forward to some more updates. Yes, like Marianne said, just like the meeps!! Talking of which, where is that skysmum again? She's always off somewhere and no note!!!
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Post by clt80 on Sept 23, 2018 18:39:39 GMT
How lovely, exciting times ahead!
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Post by Hezz on Sept 24, 2018 0:45:13 GMT
Mr Tomas does all the work in this/these relationship(s). He builds the nest and daily checks the temp, taking off or putting on mulch depending on what is needed. He doesn't do much else but be on nest duty while the eggs are incubating. The chicks emerge from the nest completely independent. I've only seen the chicks once or twice - they look like quails. They were at it again this morning - in, out, in, out, one in one out, swap places, but still no egg .... well not that we can discern, anyway. It did seem as though there might have been a courting component to the goings on.
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Post by samwiseg on Sept 24, 2018 7:30:56 GMT
This is wonderful Hezz! How privileged you must be that they chose to nest under er..your bathroom window Really looking forward to hearing more...if the chicks are "self sufficient" when hatched as it where, how long is the incubation process (would imagine it would be quite some time)? Providing Mrs Scrub lays an egg of course Sending all good vibes for a successful outcome for the pair
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Post by jellybean on Sept 24, 2018 7:45:31 GMT
Scrub Turkey chicks, looking forward to seeing this. What a good partner Mr Tomas is 😀
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Post by Hezz on Sept 24, 2018 19:32:57 GMT
I've copied this link for more info, if anyone is interested. What is not mentioned in this article is that multiple hens will lay in one nest, and one hen will lay in multiple nests, given the opportunity. I guess in case one tom is a dud when it comes to nest duties. His nest and eggs are probably as safe as they can possibly be, being so close to the house. www.backyardbuddies.org.au/fact-sheets/brush-turkey
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Post by clt80 on Sept 24, 2018 22:40:07 GMT
I wish I had a back yard buddy!! Would love to witness this first hand. Sad their natural habitat is declining though. Do you get predators in your garden Hezz? I couldn’t bear a snake, etc, eating the eggs or babies
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Post by helenmat on Sept 25, 2018 6:16:41 GMT
Oh how exciting. Have they produced young before? Apologies if you have already said. Please keep us updated with progress.
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Post by samwiseg on Sept 25, 2018 7:54:52 GMT
That is AMAZING Hezz! How clever are these guys knowing instinctively the temperature that they need to incubate through their nest?! And had a feeling it would take a while for these ones to hatch if they were ready to up and run once hatched nearly 2 months is a LONG TIME!!! Thanks for sharing
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Post by Shirls on Sept 25, 2018 9:26:05 GMT
What is even more amazing and very sad, that link says that probably only one bush turkey will survive to full adulthood in about 200 eggs. Very interesting link Hezz and thank you. What clever birdies they are too.
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Post by Hezz on Sept 25, 2018 19:28:15 GMT
I wish I had a back yard buddy!! Would love to witness this first hand. Sad their natural habitat is declining though. Do you get predators in your garden Hezz? I couldn’t bear a snake, etc, eating the eggs or babies Lol at self; read this as having a bear, a snake etc eating the eggs! No; no bears in Australia!! Give me a slap ... gently. We do have some big pythons around, but probably the worst culprits would be the goannas. They love eggs. Because the nest is right beside the house and the birds are not scared of us, because I do feed them every other day, I think they have a pretty good chance of making it. That's if they get they act together, ever. The temp must be just about right because they are checking it out two or three times a day, now ... probably even more.
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Post by Hezz on Sept 25, 2018 19:31:38 GMT
Oh how exciting. Have they produced young before? Apologies if you have already said. Please keep us updated with progress. They have Helen, but this tom is a young one, just got his colours last year, so two years old. Mind you, we have three toms, two I can't tell the difference between, except that one is more demanding with the food , and Hoppy, the reason behind me giving them supplementary feeds in the first place. He was injured as a young bird, and still doesn't have full use of his left leg.
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Post by OP on Sept 25, 2018 19:34:12 GMT
No bears? What about Koalas.
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