Mating-Season in Australia

[Tame Emu Guy]

Okay, it’s now deep dusk. I’ve been out observing for a while. A fine-looking bird, pursued by another bird, flashed past through the gums. We have tame birds, wild birds, half-wild birds, birds fleeing about, birds quietly eating, and . . .

I saw two emus walk into the gums up where G. and B.E. sleep. I walked up. Greedy was squatting on the ground right where I told you B.E. was ‘making a nest’ the other day. She wasn’t sitting as though to sleep – though she wasn’t sitting up the way that the female emu laying the egg on Youtube does. But she looked . . . uncomfortable. After some time (dusk, remember) she got off, and walked away. B.E. immediately walked to the spot, and spent ten minutes pulling at bits of twig.

So, did Greedy just lay an egg? Is it necessary for the male emu to sit on the egg immediately?

Is it possible – I’ve mentioned this elsewhere – that Felicity and Greedy are somehow communicating: if Greedy laid her egg an hour after Felicity turned up, and there were no angry vocalisations and chasings-about . . . that’s a pretty interesting co-incidence!

Whatever, if Greedy didn’t lay an egg, I’m fairly sure that nest-building is underway: it’s the exact same spot, and Boy Emu is fuss-fuss-fussing about there. If he doesn’t turn up for breakfast tomorrow at dawn, and he’s sitting on the nest . . . we’ll see.

It’s dark now. Felicity (in my heart, I think Felicity is my favourite bird because she’s a runt. She’s so loyal.) has gone off to bed. I haven’t seen her consort.

S.E.

 

[Farmerboy16]

This is very interesting reading! Please keep it coming!

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

The very first thing I saw from my bedroom window this morning was Felicity fleeing across the house-clearing, with Boy Emu in pursuit. So, scratch a bunch of my theories.
Greedy and B.E. are having breakfast by the house. Felicity got hers – welcome to The Life of Felicity the Emu – behind the shed, that is, out of line of sight of Greedy.* I snuck up to look at the ‘nest.’ Hmmm . . . nothing discernible.

I suppose Felicity's consort needs a name. He is 'F.C.,' so we'll call him 'Foxtrot.' Foxtrot is not in sight this morning.

*When all three chicks were here, it got to this stage: Greedy had to have some wheat first, to stop her chasing Felicity and Number One. Then Felicity had to have some wheat, to stop her chasing Number One. Then Number One got her wheat -- that is, all at one-third-of-a-circle intervals around the house, that is, each out of sight of the two others.

Then . . . if Greedy, for whatever reason, realised that Felicity had food, she (G.) would drive her off it. Felicity would then drive Number One off her food. Number One would then find herself standing in front of Greedy's abandoned breakfast, which she'd eat, unless . . .

S.E.

 

[chickenzoo]

It is amazing how an emu can hide those big eggs too. I have almost stepped on one because of all the leaf cover on top. Merlin would make a nest, Doodle would look at it.... She would arrange something then Merlin would put it back.... She would lay an egg and he would put it in the nest. He would stay close by and maybe sit for a small time arranging the nest and covering the egg. He would really start setting when five or so eggs were in it. Doodle would often come to the nest and arrange something, Merlin would put it back.... Then she'd look at him, look at the nest and walk off.... Like saying" What Ever".... Hehe

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

'He would really start setting when five or so eggs were in it'

Ahhh . . . thank you for this information, Emu Hugger. The Literature says something similar. It's just what I need to try to make sense of what I see.

S.E.

 

[The Big Dog]

Gday Mark, Just reading your thread, good job.
It does make me smile to see how much the Emu means to you all. Us "Oldies" spent a lifetime trying to eradicate them.
I am retired off 20,000 acres nth of Esperance and I still recall when the army was called in to try to control these beasts. They used Lewis machine guns and made a complete botch of the whole thing.
I also remember in the late 70,s (i think) when we all got together (farmers) and met an invasion of thirsty birds coming down the rabbit proof fence. Lined up our cruisers and landies and just kept driving. What a mess, in more ways than one, after the media got hold of it.
Oh we still knock them off when they become troublesome, but these days its a bit more refined.......we shoot from helicopters.

How times change eh.

Cheers............The Dog.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Hi, Big Dog. Well, the emus on my place are a fortunate few: just an odd circumstance. I have told them in no uncertain terms that if they go around busting farmers’ fences and eating their crops, they’ll likely get a high-velocity reprimand. I was shocked when A farmer-neighbour explained that one kangaroo eats as much as one sheep! I suppose an emu eats a little less than a kangaroo, but it all counts.

It's interesting to know that there is another Australian on this network. Stay in touch.

S.E

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Felicity’s Consort (‘Foxtrot Charlie’ – Felicity’s Consort) didn’t put in an appearance yesterday. I begin to wonder if Felicity is doomed to life as a spinster.

Greedy and B.E. have fallen back into the familiar pattern of aggression that marks their hold of the house-clearing. I note that it’s beyond mere defence. They expend mystifying amounts of energy [hIgh-speed emus scorching past the living-room window . . . ] chasing F. off into the gums.

Very few vocalisations.


S.E.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Nesting: Day One:

Boy Emu didn’t turn up for his wheat last night or this morning. He is sitting where-it-is-I-have-been-suggesting-they-are-building-a-nest. That cheeky Supreme Emu fellow points out here that this is, I think, the first reports we’ve had on BYC about tame birds nesting.

This morning, the chance came to compare Greedy and Felicity: yah . . . Greedy is a few kilos heavier than Felicity. I hadn’t thought to make the comparison until now, but G. is definitely the heavier bird. All information is grist to the mill: it’s natural selection at its clearest: Greedy is the bigger and more aggressive bird. Her consorts/ potential consorts have included B.E. and ‘the twins’ and ‘Dark Emu’ (assuming that D.E. was even a male). These birds are prime specimens. Dark Emu is magnificent, big and glossy. Conversely, Felicity didn’t even weigh into The Mating-Game until a year after G., and turned up with a one rather-ordinary-looking male, who didn’t even stick around.

[What’s funny, though, readers, is that Greedy is flummoxed by Felicity’s readiness to come into the backyard: Greedy would give Felicity a right whuppin’ if only Felicity would co-operate by coming out of the backyard.]

So, in just three days, we’ve passed from the house-clearing being the territory of G. and B.E. only, to G. and B.E. and Felicity, to just G. and F.

What I wrote about the birds sleeping near the house is true enough: I have seen them choof off in late dusk to a spot in the gums, and I remember when they were chicks that they dossed down in a little group. However, when I posted above about G. and B.E. ‘going beddy byes’ at dusk, it was apparently nesting behaviour as well, at that point.

Pouring rain here: winter rains. S.E. is bunkered down in the farmhouse.

S.E.

 

[RingedTeal]

All I ca say once again is