Wild Emus at The Lilly Pilly Tree

[briefvisit]

Undersized Emu provided an excellent audit/observation this morning. To begin, her calls are unique. Not the usual ‘strings’ of 6-14 foomphs, but a sort of ‘rolling thunder’ of foomphs.



We celebrated the first day of spring by being in the house-clearing at first first light. U.E. had been calling for some time – but could we be sure it was her?



You can tell the location of such calls down to a few yards if it’s still, which it was. Thus, when U.E. appeared right at first light right from where the calls had come from, we were sure enough that it was her.



She then obligingly began an aggressive series of inter-territorial calls. (One male audible to the north. Others unknown.)

There’s lots to discuss here – I mean, she gets chased away by almost every group of emus that happens through, so why the aggressive stance?

https://imgur.com/a/IupOPcY

Meanwhile, here is First Serious Flowers in the house-clearing. A clutch of chicks will polish off dozens and dozens of these.



SE

 

[briefvisit]

https://imgur.com/6iXPq5C

This is The New Mob a few days ago.

We can identify Undersized Emu and Bush. And the other day, one scrawny emu was probably one of the Cheeky Chicks.

But we must start again -- it's been pouring rain here -- and figure out who is who.

 

[Finchbreeder]

Good luck with the IDing

 

[briefvisit]

We got a 'Gang of Four' -- and maybe a couple of others flitting in and out of the clearing.

But the Gang has been enjoying the sunshine all around the house. U.E. we see. Bush? Yes. Haystack. Not sure.

Limpy Chick and Co. not here yesterday.

 

[briefvisit]

https://imgur.com/Zq2583K

Just for fun. This is Limpy Chick's brother, Toosh Toosh. These two are the backbone of Project Rothschildi -- 'cause it's the males who bring chicks here for taming.

This is Toosh Toosh's first clutch. Four of the five survived.

 

[briefvisit]

https://imgur.com/KUks0Lz

Last photo with eight chicks. They are trying to figure out the bird bath.
It was hilarious. One pecked it without drinking.

SE

 

[briefvisit]

Some catch-up posts today. It’s pouring rain and windy, but it is spring.

https://imgur.com/p8QHHmi

You can see a field of tiny flowers here. Chicks gobble these up.



So, there’s a straightforward equation here, readers. You can walk onto any pasture – right outside the house here will do – and survey what is growing on the ground. In mid-winter, it’s just a few tiny flowers among the grass. By the last month of winter, those flowers are proliferating – as in the photo.



But a month into spring, there are carpets of flowers. All this is relevant to when it’s best for a clutch to hatch. This year, for the first time, we paid attention to the hatch-dates of the emus here. We saw Random Dad in mid-winter, and Limpy Chick turned up at about the same time.

 

[briefvisit]

https://imgur.com/xrnX2E8

This may just be an aisle of boring blue gums, but it’s an example of a ‘nursery’ or a safe spot. There’s a dam close by. The house-clearing is just yards away. A Dad with a clutch can get some grazing here, but not those carpets of nutritious flowers – but it’s safe in here, and it’s where Dad and his clutch roost at night.

 

[briefvisit]

https://imgur.com/s5uhoIV

The chicks now run towards ‘Sultana Guy’ when they see him. I try to throw some to the couple of shy runts. I have to have sultanas in both hands, so Limpy Chick can be distracted while the chicks eat from the other hand.

 

[briefvisit]

https://imgur.com/ma3VgdY

This is where L.C. and the chicks usually head into the bush. But there are some hostile emus somewhere in front of them in this photo – we’d been observing for some time. L.C. is just standing there, figuring it out. The chicks stand patiently by.