Aplenty but ....

 The season of plenty where avian juvies abound.

What's the lament?

Iora brood, Part II/II

 And finally, sightings of the chicks, and more, with these chicks easily more than ten days old now.

A normal feeding of a grub for one chick.

And then the parent didn't fly off immediately but waited.

And it happened, a parent's instinct I guessed, of its chick's habit and timing of output after a meal, neatly nipped for disposal.

A rather awkward landing but no matter, welcomed for it's come with food.

And when the food was a small catch of a beetle, feeding is simple, straight into the throat.

But if the catch is a long one and not positioned well for entry, then it's a loss for one but a gain for another.

And the usual housekeeping thereafter.

Another feed and the parent did not leave immediately, which was fortunate as I soon discovered why ....

... for this one had leaned out of the nest, its head drooping down for a snooze.

And the protective parent wisely decided to wait out its snooze for a few seconds before the chick retreated into the nest again.

And sad to say these were the last images of the brood and its parent for a few days later, the nest was completely empty and no fledglings in sight or within earshot.  Could they have fledged successfully or fallen prey to another or to the daily thunderous and torrential weather?

Having trawled the taman to no avail, I maintain hope that perhaps I could still come across a set of parent and juvenile foraging, for if they're still around in the taman, they would surely be spotted and/or heard.

Iora brood, Part I/II

 And so, another brood added to the Common Iora community, perhaps.

When first spotted, this female Iora was already brooding but ceaselessly calling out, its melodic calls loud and unmistakable, drawing inevitable attention.

However it took occasional time off to fly down looking for grubs, as the male was nowhere in sight.

Looking like taking a break off sitting in its tiny cup nest.  

And , sprucing up its nest every now and then.

And the calls continued, with the male still nowhere in sight, for the numerous times I managed to observe.

A week later, still brooding under the blazing sun, in its nest that's almost 20ft high.

Another 10 days later, and I dared hazard a guess that there were chicks now.

And so I waited down under for privileged glimpses.